Top 10 China Main Cities for Nature Lovers

Known as one of the eco-cities in China, Shenzhen is home to over 1,090 parks and 25 nature reserves, with a total green coverage rate of 47.6%. Filled with beautiful mountains and rivers, a rich variety of wildlife, verdant forests and expansive orchards, the city provides nature-lovers with a valuable chance to escape hectic life and indulge in the gorgeous nature. On the northeast bank of Shenzhen Bay, you’ll find vast mangrove forests and many kinds of rare birds in Mangrove Nature Reserve. Or you can go for Fairy Lake Botanical Garden to see over 12,000 species of plants; walk along the Plank Road of Dameisha Beach to enjoy gentle sea breeze and broad seascape.

 Recommended Tour:  2 Days Private Tour of Shenzhen from $269

With over 39% forest coverage rate, Guiyang is for sure one of the main cities in China for nature lovers, where they can explore towering mountains that are dotted with evergreen subtropical broad-leaved forests and various wild animals. It’s really a perfect destination to try outdoor activities or just relax at the natural oxygen bar. For a truly memorable nature exploration trip, you can hike in the Tianhe Pool Scenic Area to see the spectacular karst landscape; to Baihua Lake to enjoy natural beauty of lakes and hills; to Flower Stream Park to spend a relaxing time while seeing the naturally-formed streams and gardens. More destinations in Guiyang for nature lovers include Qianling Hill Park and Guiyang Forest Park.

 Recommended Tour:  4 Days Private Guizhou Tour to Guiyang - Kaili from $569

Nanning is dubbed as the “Green City of China” for half of the city is covered with green plants. Dense forest and large tracts of green meadows make it one of the most beautiful China main cities for nature lovers. Tourists can climb up to Dragon Elephant Pagoda on Mt. Qingxiu to see luxuriant trees, strange stones and crystal-clear springs, and trek to Mt. Daming to explore mountain forest vistas, cascading waterfalls and splendid canyons. And other must-visit sites for those looking for a nature retreat include the Yilingyan Scenic Area that featuring typical karst caves, Nanning Zoo that houses exotic plants and rare wild animals, and the Nanhu Lake Park that highlights tropical forests and gardens planting more than 200 kinds of precious Chinese herbal medicines.

Shanghai is no doubt a main China city highly modernized and at the same time, a China green city. After enjoying Pudong’s spectacular skyline of soaring skyscrapers, you may as well plunge into the unparalleled natural beauty. Yes, the vast expanses of wetlands and many species of plants are great temptations for nature lovers. Yu Garden is the best classical garden in Shanghai, offering charming and pleasant sceneries of green ponds, various woods and flowers, and strange rockeries dotted among exquisite pavilions, zigzag corridors and dragon-like walls. Another must-see natural site - Dongping National Forest Park boasts a considerable amount of man-made forest with a green coverage rate of 90%, and tourists can also enjoy more fun in grass skiing and rock climbing. There are some other stunning places for nature-lovers to unwind, including the Sheshan National Forest Park, Fuxing Park, Century Park, Dianshan Lake, and Botanical Garden.

 Recommended Tour:  One Day Private Shanghai Tour

Shanghai Tours

Another China main cities for nature seekers is Hangzhou, which has been titled as the “Heaven on Earth” since ancient times. Blessed with the vast West Lake, green mountains and hills, pure springs, primitive wetlands, gushing waterfalls and swathes of tea plantation, Hangzhou offers lots of nature treasures for nature explorers. Tourists could feel natural beauty in every inch of this city with 64% forest coverage. You can get an unforgettable experience by cruising on West Lake and enjoy the hilly peaks and rippling water; go to Thousand Islets Lake to catch picturesque views of verdurous islands, exotic grottos and grotesque stones; hike in Xixi National Wetland Park to admire special ecological landscapes including quaint village, crisscrossing waterways, old trees and deep pools. And the Botanical Garden, Meijiawu Tea Plantation, Tiantai Mountain are also ideal destinations in Hangzhou for nature lovers.

 Recommended Tour:  Hangzhou Day Tour with West Lake & Meijiawu Tea Plantation from $196

Hangzhou Tours

Nestled in southeast coastal areas of China, Xiamen is packed with enchanting beaches and tropical scenery attracting countless tourists at home and abroad for exploring the natural beauty. It’s truly a paradise, featuring exotic gardens, extensive white sandy beaches, wetland parks and abundant flora and fauna. Gulangyu Island should be the first spot for nature lovers, where there are stunning sea-side views, soft sand beaches and bamboo forests. And go to Xiamen Botanical Garden to see various rock scenery and tropical and subtropical plants; to Wuyuan Bay Wetland Park to witness a large number of egrets; and to Mt. Tianzhu National Forest Park that known as the “Rear Garden of Xiamen”, to overlook lofty mountains, gurgling streams and jade lakes.

 Recommended Tour:  5-Day Private Xiamen Tour to Gulangyu Island from $659

The numerous green ecological parks, long coastline, clear rivers, fruit-laden orchards and the diversity of flora and fauna make Tianjin one of the main cities in China with prolific scenic beauty for nature lovers. The famous attractions here include Mt. Panshan Scenic Area that noted for jade pine trees, strange peaks, grotesquely-shaped rocks, clusters of ancient temples; Limutai Natural Scenic Area - a natural oxygen bar boasting quartzite peak, forest, and canyon landform; Water Park that dotted with crystal lakes, tree-shaded corridors, plant gardens of varying hues; and natural landscapes in urban area like Haihe River, People’s Park and Tropical Botanical Garden.

Situated at the junction of the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea, Dalian is blessed with beautiful waterscapes and delivers lots of beach resorts and aquariums. Besides, the countless natural beauty along the long coastline, multitudinous islands and geo-parks make Dalian one of the main cities in China for natural explorers. Surrounded on three sides by sea, Jinshitan Scenic Area is sure one of the most popular among visitors, which is the largest bathing place in northern China, enjoying a vast gold beach with wholesome water and soft sand. Apart from that, nature-lovers can also have a relaxing time in Bangchuidao Scenic Area, where you could see a diverse scenery blending of sea, island, beach and mountain. Some other attractions that allow you to immerse in nature includes Xinghai Park, Tiger Beach Ocean Park and Dalian Forest Zoo.

Being a garden-style coastal city, Zhuhai not only has spreading coastlines and high-quality beaches, but also a large number of parks and beautiful islands. With a total forest coverage rate of over 90%, Jiuzhou Island is one of the most breathtaking scenic spots in Zhuhai for nature seekers. It is composed of several small islands, with many natural caves of different shapes, which allow tourists to have a mysterious exploration. The densely forested island is like a green ocean, offering refreshing air, so that you could fully feel the pleasure of returning to nature. In addition, Wailingding Island with typical subtropical rainforest scenery, Dong’ao Island titled as the “Diamond Beach”, and some urban parks like Zhuhai Seaside Park and Bailian Cave Park are all popular destinations to enjoy natural beauty.

As an old industrial city, Shenyang has not been polluted by traditional industry, and is among the best China main cities for well protecting the mountains, forests, lakes, wetlands, rivers, and snowy mountains. Tourists could head for Botanical Garden to see exotic varieties of flowering plants, herbs and medicinal bushes; move forward to Qipan Mountain to enjoy red maples, snow-capped ranges and serene lakes; go to Water Cave of Shenyang to admire craggy boulders, pearl curtain waterfalls and rippling water. And you can also feel the tranquility and beauty of nature just in some small parks, such as Wuli River Park, South Lake Park and Beiling Park.