Wenjin Street
Xicheng District
Beijing, China

This huge park situated just north of the Forbidden City covers some 69 hectares (170 acres) and includes areas of forest, hills, meadows, temples, and a lake. The park was built in the 1000s and was originally attached to the Forbidden City as imperial gardens, but later became a separate public green space. Among the more notable elements of the park is a Daoist temple, several classical Chinese gardens, and the White Dagoba, a 40-meter (131-foot) stone stupa that crowns the park from atop Qionghua Island in the middle of the lake. Beihai Park is a popular place for relaxing, picnicking, and light recreation. Paddleboats are offered for rent on the lake and elderly locals often use the park's pavilions to play and sing traditional Chinese music.

18 Gaoliangqiao Street
Haidian District
Beijing, China

This aquarium attached to Beijing Zoo holds title as the world's largest inland aquarium, with seven exhibition spaces that include coral reefs, a shark tank, and a marine mammal pavilion. Architecturally, the building is shaped like a conch shell, and inside the exhibitions flow together, so that one moment visitors are enjoying the splash of waterfalls in a rainforest and the next taking in the tactile delights of starfish and crabs in the Touch Pool. The aquarium also incorporates at 3,000-seat exhibition space where trained dolphins, seals, and sea lions put on daily shows for visitors. Among the more unique of the exhibitions here is the Rare Chinese Sturgeon Hall, which imitates the Yangtze River environment that the Chinese sturgeons live in.

Bajiao Underground Railway Station
Beijing, China

Beijing Shijingshan Amusement Park was established in 1986. The park contains more than 66 amusement facilities, each constructed in a unique style, and gardens that offer beautiful, scenic views. The park's many attractions include the Gothic Cinderella Castle, Arabic Restaurant, European Blue Bridge, Russian Entrance Hall, a roller coaster, Warrior Turnplate, Giant Wheel, Magic Manor, UFO Bicycle, and Waving Chair. The park also contains a waterpark that has waterslides, wave pools, and children's pools. 

131 Xi Zhi Men Wai Avenue
Beijing, China

Founded in 1906, the Beijing Zoo (also known as Western Suburbs Park or Xijiao Gongyuan) features many exotic and rare animals. Covering an area of 50,000 square meters, the grounds consist of cultivated flower gardens, grasslands, tree groves, and some old buildings. The zoo contains about 7,000 creatures, including giant pandas, tigers, deer, yaks, sea turtles, polar bears, kangaroos, zebras, and more than 100 species of reptiles. The zoo complex consists of 30 halls that are used to display different habitats and plant life. The zoo is also home to China’s biggest ocean hall, which not only displays a variety of fish but also conducts dolphin and sea lion shows.

349 Zhongshan East 1st Road
Shanghai 200000, China

Beneath Shanghai’s Oriental Pearl Tower a tunnel leads under the Huang Pu River in the city’s busy Bund District. Visitors hop inside a futuristic-looking rail car before being whisked through a tunnel covered in colorful, pulsating, and strobing lights that make it feel like flying. Accompanied by ominous music, the ride lasts almost five minutes.   

222 Yuejiangxi Road
Haizhu District, Guangzhou, China

Also known as Guangzhou Tower, this 604-meter-tall (1,982-foot-tall) observation tower overlooks the Pearl River in Guangzhou’s Haizhu District. It offers several observation decks and thrilling adventures. The tower’s vertical freefall ride called Sky Drop is recognized by Guinness World Records as the world’s highest thrill ride. Riders can choose to freefall sitting or standing from about 455–485 meters (1,493–1,591 feet) high. A little more relaxing, the Bubble Tram features 16 spherical cabins that can each take up to six people on a 20-minute ride along a track high above the city. At a height of 488 meters (1,601 feet), an outdoor lookout provides 360-degree views of Guangzhou. The tower also has options for shopping and dining.    

858 Fang Dian Road
Pudong, Shanghai, China

This sprawling mass of concrete and grassland in the Pudong district represents everything modern in Shanghai. Quite unlike the leafy older parks of China, this huge civic area is an open swath of grass, austere lakes, and children's playground equipment, all interconnected by meandering concrete walkways. Like much of this part of Shanghai, Century Park is only a few years old-a fact made very obvious by the small sapling trees and baby bushes that are still growing here. Most interesting about Century Park is its ultra-modern atmosphere and the views it offers toward Shanghai's skyline of tall buildings, making the entire place feel like something from an episode of the space-age cartoon The Jetsons. Among the many activities available here are bicycling, fishing, boating, and kite-flying.

Yingbin Lu Dashi Town
Panyu District, Guangzhou, China

Opened in 2006, this massive amusement park stands in the Panyu District, a southern suburb of Guangzhou. Designed by a Canadian firm, Chimelong Paradise is an amusement park with rollercoasters and other rides. It also includes the zoo-like Xiangjiang Safari Park, a waterpark, circus, golf center, and crocodile park. It would be impossible to visit the entirety of Chimelong in a day, so plan to spend the weekend exploring all its possibilities, or pick and choose your favorites. 

Yantian District
Shenzhen, China

It can be tough to find a pleasant beach in China, but these two beaches, which are the most popular in the Shenzhen area, both provide a relaxing seaside atmosphere with lapping waves and golden sands. With names meaning "large beautiful beach" and "small beautiful beach" respectively, Dameisha and Xiaomeisha are adjacent to one another along the southern coast of the South China Sea, a few kilometers east of central Shenzhen. The larger of the two, Dameisha, is a public beach with free entry and is, consequently, usually the busier of the two. Xiaomeisha, meanwhile, sits on the cove just east of Dameisha and is a private beach requiring a ¥20 entrance fee. Besides this fare and their sizes, there is very little difference between the two beaches, both of which have a series of small stands offering water toys and snacks.

Longqing Gorge
Beijing, China

Taking visitors to the top of one of China’s largest dams is the world’s longest outdoor escalator, which happens to be shaped like a dragon. Walk through the dragon’s mouth to begin the ascent 258 meters (846 feet) to the top of Longqing Gorge and the dam sharing its name. At the top, the adventure continues with great views as well as activities such as bungee jumping, riding a cable car, or going for a boat ride on an artificial lake.

Mutianyu Village
Beijing, China

A fun and exciting way to see the Great Wall of China is to go sliding past it. At the wall’s Mutianyu section, a two-hour drive north of Beijing, visitors can hike or ride either a gondola or chairlift to where this unique ride begins. Once at the top, a 1,580-meter-long (5,184-foot-long) toboggan-style slide takes riders along the wall at an average speed of 19 kilometers per hour (12 miles per hour). However, riders can go faster or slower by using the slide’s brake to control their speed.  

120 Xianlie Middle Lu
Guangzhou, China

It makes sense that the third-largest city in China would be home to one of the country's three largest zoos. Guangzhou Zoo houses some 400 species of animals, most of which were raised on the premises. A number of rare Chinese animals abide here, including South China tigers and, of course, pandas. Oddly, the zoo also claims to have the world's shortest horse. The ocean exhibition and butterfly garden are both particularly well designed, while a petting-zoo pavilion known as Animals Plaza allows visitors to get up close and personal with all sorts of friendly creatures.

Jinchan West Road
Chaoyang District, Beijing, China

Eastern Beijing’s Happy Valley is an amusement park that opened in 2006. It has a variety of rides for all ages including a train, carousel, rollercoasters, simulators, bumper cars, whitewater rafting, rotating swings, spinning teacups, and more. In addition to rides, the park hosts live entertainment such as theater, music, and dance performances as well as magic shows. Eateries and stores provide options for dining and shopping.

888 Linhu Road
Songjiang District, Shanghai, China

Opened in 2009, Happy Valley is an amusement park located about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from downtown Shanghai. It has a variety of rides for all ages including a train, carousel, rollercoasters, simulators, bumper cars, whitewater rafting, rotating swings, spinning teacups, and more. In addition to rides, the park hosts live entertainment such as theater, music, and dance performances as well as magic shows. Eateries and stores provide options for dining and shopping.

Shenzhen Overseas Chinese Town
Nanshan District
Shenzhen, China

This traditional theme park is one of the most popular in Shenzhen. It consists of a number of areas that are home to rides and games designed according to themes such as Spanish Square and Typhoon Bay. There also is a dedicated waterpark called Playa Maya that is styled in ancient Mayan kitsch and is open only during the warmer months of the year. The fact that many elements of the park's design and themes bear obvious resemblances to other famous theme parks around the world doesn't detract from the generally fun atmosphere of the place, which is kept surprisingly clean and tidy. The rides, too, are remarkably modern and include several spiraling rollercoasters, a couple of free-fall-style rides, and a 4D film experience. 

Overseas Chinese Town, Dameisha East
Yantian District, Shenzhen, China

The sightseeing area of Heroes Valley offers a variety of entertainment for the whole family to enjoy. A 480-meter-high (1,575-foot-high) viewing platform called Sea of Clouds provides panoramic views of the Overseas Chinese Town and cable car rides. For more views take a ride on the 110-meter-tall (361-foot-tall) Eye of Nature observation tower. In addition, there are several amusement rides, a 4D movie theater, children’s playground, and video game arcade.  Also included is the summertime attraction known as OCT East Waterpark, which provides fun under the sun for all ages. It features waterslides, a lazy river, surf simulator, wave pool, and shallow play areas for little ones.

201 Hongmei Road
Minhang District, Shanghai, China

Opened in 1985, Jinjiang Action Park was Shanghai’s first large-scale amusement park. It offers more than 40 rides including a ghost train, flume, rollercoasters, river rafting, bumper cars and boats, haunted house, and the 108-meter-tall (354-foot-tall) Shanghai Ferris wheel. In addition to rides and midway-style games, the park has a volcano-themed movie theater and a 4D movie. Shops and eateries offer options for shopping and dining.

88 Shiji Da Dao Pudong
Shanghai, China

At 420.5 meters (1,378 feet) high, Jinmao Tower is one of the world's tallest buildings. Its tiered shape resembling a Chinese pagoda is another staple along the Pudong skyline. Inside the Jinmao Tower are offices, Shanghai Grand Hyatt, and Skywalk, a viewing platform on the 88th floor. The number 8 is considered lucky in Chinese culture, so it is no accident that this tower is saturated with that digit. A shiny elevator whisks visitors to the top in a matter of seconds, where they are greeted by tall windows framing a vertigo-inducing view. A number of restaurants and nightclubs are dotted along several floors of the tower as well.

Dapeng Bay
Shatoujiao Shenzhen
Guangdong, China

Minsk World is a unique military theme park that was opened in 2000. The park's primary attraction is the massive decommissioned Russian aircraft carrier Minsk, which is now a major tourist attraction and also acts as a portion of the park's grounds. The displays include armed helicopters and MiG-23 fighter planes. The upper deck, the size of three soccer fields, is the main exhibition center of military equipment and contains take-off and landing runways. The carrier also features weaponry like ship-to-ship and ship-to-air guided missile launchers. The most popular attractions on the carrier are the six centrifuges that offer visitors an experience in weightlessness. Since its inauguration, the carrier has attracted over 5 million visitors.

Dongwei Road
Chaoyang District, Beijing, China

Part of Tulip Hot Spring Garden Resort, Morui Water World is a 35,000-square-meter (376,737-square-foot) indoor waterpark. Attractions include several swimming pools, waterslides, a lazy river, surf simulator, hot tubs, and thermal baths. There also are shallow castle-themed play areas for little ones. In addition, the park also shows films on its huge screen made from water.  

Mawu Village
Eastern Beijing, China

A Chinese farmer and inventor, Wu Yulu lives just outside Beijing in Mawu Village. He has become known for building more than 30 unique robots from scrap metal and other recycled materials. His creations use simple mechanisms to complete various tasks. They include a climbing robot, musical robot, tea-pouring robot, message-writing robot, cigarette-lighting robot, and rickshaw robot.  

Xili Road
Nanshan District
Shenzhen, China

This large wildlife park is Shenzhen's answer to a zoo. The park is home to at least 300 species and more than 10,000 different animals altogether, making it one of the largest zoological parks in the country. Most of the species remain within the typical selection of zoo animals: tigers, elephants, and monkeys, as well as several pandas that are always among the most popular with visitors. Zoos in China are not necessarily known for being the most humane places on earth, but the Safari Park Shenzhen does pretty well, allowing some animals to roam in large, open-space habitats rather than confining them in small cages. Still, compared to some well-known international zoos, this park shows its age in the rather out-of-date architecture and faded plastic menageries that decorate it.

2266 Gonghe New Road
Peng Pu Xin Cun, Zhabei Qu
Shanghai 200072, China

Chinese acrobatics shows are filled with magic, excitement, and whimsical characters and sets. You can take in one of these colorful shows at Shanghai Circus World, one of the city's best places to see acrobatics. Unlike Western circuses, Shanghai Circus World does not incorporate animals into the show itself, but instead involves dazzling acrobatics featuring athletes that perform incredible stunts while hanging from wires, curtains, and swings. Chinese acrobatics also incorporates elements of ballet, gymnastics, theater, and circus. The main theater hall at Shanghai Circus World, which is located in northern Shanghai, can accommodate more than 1,600 people and hosts a variety of acrobatics and magic performances on its revolving stage. For the animal element of the circus, pay a visit to the massive animals house, where dozens of exotic beasts are on display.

1388 Lujiazui Road
Pudong
Shanghai, China

China's largest aquarium is located next to the Oriental Pearl TV Tower. Opened in 2002, Shanghai Ocean Aquarium has 28 exhibit areas, most of them huge tanks that house sea creatures from every continent. Among them, the most prized is Bruce, a 43.5-centimeter (17.2-inch) Orlanda goldfish, named in honor of martial arts hero Bruce Lee. The aquarium's other claim to fame is its round, glass-encased walkway tank. The longest in the world, this tunnel takes you down an escalator and through a circular hallway, all the while making you feel suspended within a cloud of water populated by stingrays and eels. This is one of the better aquaria in the world and is well worth a few hours of time to escape the Shanghai heat. 

Nonglin Road
Futian District, Shenzhen, China

Shenzhen Children’s Paradise is a small amusement park that offers rides and activities for children. Some of the rides include a double-decker carousel, train, log flume, rollercoaster, Ferris wheel, and bumper cars. Kids can explore several playgrounds including a ship-themed play area that has water features during summer. In addition, there is outdoor gym equipment for those looking to get some exercise. Vendors sell souvenirs and refreshments.

Shennan Avenue
Nanshan District
Shenzhen, China

This big amusement park celebrates all things China through a number of displays and performances set in two areas: the Miniature Park and the Folk Culture Village. The main draw of the theme park is the collection of scale models of China's most famous tourist sights, such as the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, and the Terracotta Warrior Army. Even the foreboding new Three Gorges Dam is scaled to 1/15th of its size inside the park. Although the models are admittedly somewhat cheesy, the likeness and detail are nonetheless impressive. The Folk Culture Village, meanwhile, is dedicated to the 56 recognized ethnic minorities within China, and is most popular for its selection of shows and dances that incorporate the costumes and traditional rituals of the many minority groups, including several modern takes (such as the Tibetan rock band). A combined ticket includes entrance to both sides of the park for ¥120; you will want between two hours and a half-day to see everything.

Shenzhen, China

Window of the World is a theme park that was opened in late 2004. Covering an area of 480,000 square meters (5,166,677 square feet), its main attractions are the 130 replicas of some of the world's most famous tourist attractions like the Taj Mahal, Eiffel Tower, Niagara Falls, Angkor Wat, Leaning Tower of Pisa, London Tower, Coliseum in Rome, Sydney Opera House, Grand Canyon, and Egyptian pyramids. The park also features mini exhibitions of famous international figures as well as a wide variety of restaurants. The park hosts a number of annual festivals like the Cherry Festival, Indian Cultural Week, International Beer Festival, Pop Music Festival, and other events.

Jiefang N Road
Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, China

Also known as Yuexiu Hill, this hilly park is Guangzhou’s largest encompassing about 92 hectares (227 acres), including three lakes. It features one of the city’s most famous landmarks, the Five-Ram Statue. In addition, the park offers a variety of activities for all ages with outdoor recreation such as hiking, biking, boating, and wildlife viewing. The park also includes playgrounds, gardens, athletic fields, public art displays, museums, shops, and restaurants.