3 Hidden Gems of China {Guest Post by Karolina and Patryk}

{photo via KarolinaPatryk.com}

If you love travel, you've probably considered picking up and leaving your old life behind at some point (even if it's just after a particularly bad day at work). After vacationing one weekend, that's exactly what today's guest posters did! Karolina and Patryk, who run their travel blog over at KarolinaPatryk.com, have since explored on 5 continents and live a digital nomad lifestyle, which gives them plenty of flexibility to see the world.

They're sharing their favorite three hidden gems of China today, where you can really delve into the culture and beauty of the country. Let's go!

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China is extremely diverse, but the majority of tourists seems to go only to Beijing, Hong Kong or Shanghai. They often forget that this country has so many spots worth visiting and exploring. Thus, today we are sharing with you top 3 hidden spots of China that you simply can’t miss when stepping on the Land of Dragons:

#1 Chongqing 

{photo via KarolinaPatryk.com}

Chongqing is one of the most popular travel destinations in southwest China. It’s a typical mountain city that attracts visitors’ attention with its stunning Yangtze River. It’s surrounded by Shaanxi, Hunan and Hubei provinces and there are over 29 million people living there.

Chongqing is also a city of contrasts. When you walk across the city center, you can find a huge shopping centre with the most expensive products provided by world-famous brands. On the other side of the road though, you can spot very poor locals selling some fruits and vegetables and you can witness the extreme poverty. By comparing these two sides of Chongqing, you can easily see that China is developing at a breath-taking speed, but the poverty still exists here.

Local woman returning from the market {photo via KarolinaPatryk.com}

Moreover, Chongqing is a very modern city that offers a lot in terms of technology and shopping. Although the city is often a starting point for the Yangtze River cruise, many foreigners come here to teach English, try a traditional Sichuan cuisine and world-famous hot pot dishes. Chongqing is definitely a perfect place for foodies, hike and mountains lovers as well as for those who are passionate about photography and history of China. The city offers a great variety of caves, hot springs and gorges you may want to explore and picturesque landscape that will leave you speechless for a long time.

#2 Fenghuang

{photo via KarolinaPatryk.com}

Fenghuang is one of these places where you can’t find many tourists. It is hidden in Hunan province and mostly occupied by Miao ethnic minority that live and work there. This town provides you with an authentic experience of Chinese customs, traditions, cuisine and, above all, the architecture. Fenghuang is known as the Phoenix Ancient Town to many foreigners.

It offers a stunning scenery at night with flashy lampions and lanterns hanging on the trees, breath-taking bridges and ancient shape of building. When you walk through the town, you can see local houses decorated with colorful lights so the whole place looks like a fairy tale in the evening. Another reason to visit Fenghuang is its cuisine - extremely spicy, but yet delicious and based on natural ingredients.

#3 Guilin

{photo via KarolinaPatryk.com}

 If you feel like baking, hiking, visiting Chinese local parks or admiring breath-taking rice terraces you could see only on TV, heading to Guilin should be definitely on your China travel list! Certainly, Guilin is one of the most beautiful and budget friendly places in China.

Located in Guangxi Province, it can be easily and cheaply be reached by plane, bus or the train. It surprises its visitors with stunning scenery of mountains, caves, lakes and river as well as rice terraces so you can definitely relax here and take a break from travelling.

{photo via KarolinaPatryk.com}

Guilin is also a nice place to try some odd Chinese dishes you wouldn’t try elsewhere such as grilled or baked snails topped in a local beer! Moreover, Guilin is surprisingly a very affordable place to stay a couple of days!

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I love these suggestions from Karolina and Patryk, and I can't wait to visit all of them one day!

Have you visited China? Where would you head first - Chongqing, Fenghuang or Guilin? Why?

Read more about Karolina and Patryk's travels around the world:

Blog | Twitter

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