My China route

• The pandas. Go to the Chengdu Research Base right when it opens, at 7:30 (8:00 in winter). Once it gets hot, the pandas go inside. Tickets →🌅 at opening⏱ 2 to 3h
• People's Park in the afternoon. People dance everywhere, there's a bonsai garden, and at the Heming teahouse they pour your tea from a teapot with a one-meter spout. It's a whole show.☀️ afternoon⏱ 2h
• Anshun Bridge at night, all lit up over the river. The best photo is from the riverbank.🌙 at night
• Eat street food, and a bowl at Yao Guai Mian, a noodle shop recommended by the Michelin guide where a bowl costs a few dollars.

At night

• Hongyadong after dark, the yellow building stacked on the cliff. It's packed, but worth it. Then walk under the red bridge for the photo above. 🌙 after dark⏱ 1h
• The Skywalk at Raffles City. They put you in a harness and you walk outside with your feet in the void, about 250 m up. My favourite, it's really impressive. Tickets →🌙 at night⏱ 1h
• The WFC observation deck is the highest viewpoint in the city. On a smaller budget, it's the better pick just for the view. Tickets →🌆 sunset or night⏱ 1h
• Hong'en Pavilion, lit up on a hill. You see the whole city from there.🌙 at night⏱ 1h

By day

• Liziba, the train that goes through a building. Stand on the platform below and wait, one passes every few minutes. A must-see. ⏱ 20 min
• The Yangtze River Cableway, a 5-minute cable car right over the river. Book a time slot before you go, without one the queue can take two hours. 🎟 book a slot⏱ 5 min ride
• Luohan Temple, almost 1,000 years old and stuck between skyscrapers.⏱ 30 min
• Ciqikou, the old town, in the afternoon. Then go see Chongqing·1949 right across the creek, a show where the seats spin 360°. Book section A or B, the others don't move. ☀️ afternoon⏱ half a day

To eat

• Pea noodles (wanza mian) from a street stall for lunch, and hot pot at least once for dinner. It's spicier than in Chengdu.

Then Furong:

• The waterfall lights up after sunset. The 20 minutes right after are the best, and you want to be on your balcony for that. 🌙 after sunset
• You can walk behind the waterfall. Yes, really. It's slippery, so wear real shoes.⏱ 30 min
• Music and dance shows in the evening. They come with the village ticket, about ¥100 ($14).🌙 evening
• There isn't much else to do, and that's fine. It's a place you come to look at.
• Next morning, walk the village before 9. After that, the tour buses arrive.🌅 before 9

In the order I'd do it:

• The glass bridge over the Grand Canyon, first. It's a separate ticket with a time slot, and it sells out, so book a few days before. Tickets →🎟 book days ahead⏱ 3 to 4h
• The national park, over 2 or 3 days. Cable cars, the Avatar pillars, and Golden Whip Stream, a flat walk along the river full of monkeys. Hide your snacks. Tickets →⏱ 2 to 3 days
• The park ticket is valid 4 days, but you reserve each visit. Bring your real passport, not a photo of it, the gates check it and scan your face.
• Sunset in the park. Stay for it and take the last bus down, but check what time it leaves before you go up. I almost got stuck up there.🌇 sunset
• Bailong Elevator, one of the highest outdoor elevators in the world: 326 m straight up the cliff. Totally worth it.
• 72 Wonders (七十二奇楼) at night, the colorful building that lights up. There's a show with police officers dancing, it's hilarious. Tickets cost more after 4:30 pm, or just take the photo from across the road.🌙 at night⏱ 1h
• Tianmen Mountain, the "gate to heaven", about 40 min from Wulingyuan. Go at opening and book a time slot. Tickets →🌅 at opening⏱ half a day
• Good to know: the long cable car from the city is closed for works, with no reopening date yet. For now you go up with the express cable car from the mountain gate to Tianmen Cave, then escalators to the top.

• The Forbidden City. Tickets open at 8 pm Beijing time, exactly 7 days before, and they go fast. It's closed on Mondays. Bring the passport you booked with. 🎟 book 7 days before⏱ 3h
• Right after, climb Jingshan Park across the street. It costs almost nothing, and you see all the golden roofs of the Forbidden City from above.⏱ 30 min
• The Great Wall at Mutianyu. Take the chairlift up and come down on the toboggan. Do it, seriously. It's about 1h30 from the city, so leave early. Day trip →🌅 leave early⏱ full day
• The Summer Palace, the emperors' garden on a lake. Cute, beautiful gardens, and not crowded at all. ⏱ 2 to 3h
• The Temple of Heaven. Go early, when locals do tai chi in the park around it.🌅 early⏱ 1 to 2h
• The hutongs, the old lanes around Nanluoguxiang and the Drum Tower. Get lost in them on foot or by bike.⏱ 2h
• Peking duck. Absolutely.🍽 dinner

• Day 1: a boat on West Lake, then the Longjing tea fields. Stop for a coffee at Longjing 82, a café right in the middle of the tea. ⏱ full day
• Day 2: Qingshan Lake, the "matcha lake". It's a forest growing out of green water, and you can kayak between the trees. Take a Didi, it's about an hour from the city and it doesn't cost much. The green comes from tiny water plants, so it's best in the warm months. ☀️ warm months⏱ half a day

• Pingjiang Road. Walk along the canal and take the little wooden boat (about ¥40, or $6, for 30 minutes). Go before 9, after that there's a queue.🌅 before 9⏱ 1 to 2h
• Shantang Street at night, when the lanterns come on over the water.🌙 at night⏱ 1h
• The Humble Administrator's Garden, the most famous of the classic gardens. Beautiful. No need to plan it days ahead, booking on your phone the day before or that morning is usually enough. ⏱ 2h

• The Bund at night. Walk along the river while the towers light up on the other side. Go before 10 pm (11 on weekends), that's when they switch the lights off. 🌙 before 10 pm⏱ 1h
• Yu Garden at night, the old town with the curved roofs lit up in red. Packed, but cute. 🌙 at night⏱ 1h
• The French Concession for a long walk under the plane trees, some shopping, and a good dinner.⏱ half a day
• Tax refund. Spend ¥200 or more in the same store and ask for it. A lot of shops in Shanghai give it back on the spot.