Only in Hong Kong for a short trip? Culture Trip guides you through 48 hours in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong

A 48-Hour Guide to Hong Kong

Shanghai is so big and full of activities, it could keep you occupied for weeks on end. Here's a handy guide to 48 hours in this buzzing city.

China

How to Spend 48 Hours in Shanghai

You don't have to hop a plane to find incredible places in China. There are tons just a short train ride from Shanghai.

Top 12 Day Trips from Shanghai

Find out where you can learn more about Hong Kong’s fascinating history, heritage and unique culture with this list of the city’s top museums to check out.

The Best Museums in Hong Kong

Any literature lover visiting Beijing should explore these landmarks, memorials, and libraries.

Beijing

The Top Literary Landmarks To Visit In Beijing

Featured Articles

Picture Hong Kong and the first thing that springs to mind is its skyline: a condensed sprawl of skyscrapers soaring over Victoria Harbour, backdropped by verdant hills. Behind its urban exterior, however, is a region that remains deeply connected to and proud of its distinctive culture, which blends Chinese, British and indigenous influences.

Each of Hong Kong’s neighbourhoods, districts and islands has a personality of its own. Kowloon serves up sprawling markets and fascinating museums, while high-end Hong Kong Island offers endless options for shopping, drinking and dining. The outlying islands of Lamma and Cheung Chau give off a more laid-back, artsy vibe, and those craving nature should look no further than the hiking hotspot of Tung Lung Chau Island.

Introducing Hong Kong

With everything from top-notch restaurants to delicious street food, Hong Kong’s renowned cuisine is reason enough to visit. To eat as the locals do, tuck into Cantonese noodles and roast meat, or stack up dim sum dishes and wash them down with fragrant tea. 

There are some must-dos on any Hong Kong trip: riding the historic Star Ferry across Victoria Harbour; practising the ancient art of tai chi; browsing the Mong Kok markets; visiting the region’s temples and monasteries; watching horse racing in Happy Valley; and experiencing traditional Cantonese opera at Sunbeam Theatre. Vibrant festivities take place year-round, from the Mid-Autumn Festival (also known as the Mooncake Festival) to the Lunar New Year.

The best of Hong Kong culture

Hong Kong neighbourhoods

Beijing, China’s sprawling capital city, is where the country’s long history of dynastic rule meets its ambition to become a high-tech giant. This dynamic plays out in the city’s architecture; ultra-modern structures built for the 2008 Olympics jar with the temples, palaces and hutongs (narrow alleyways) that have defined Beijing for centuries.

With six UNESCO World Heritage sites, including the Temple of Heaven and the enormous complex of palaces that make up the Forbidden City, Beijing thrums with imperial history. Many visitors use it as a base from which to explore the Great Wall of China; Badaling, the most frequented and best-known section of the wall, is within easy reach of the city.

Introducing Beijing

It might be the epicentre of Chinese history, but today Beijing is the country’s capital of cool. Former brothels are now stylish coffee shops, traditional hutongs house tiki bars and microbreweries, and a revolving carousel of works at the achingly trendy 798 Art Zone places the city comfortably at the forefront of modern Chinese art. 

While new restaurants routinely pop up all over, the best of Beijing’s cuisine can be sampled at its old-school hotpot and Peking-duck restaurants. As China’s cultural capital, Beijing also serves up a superb showcase of traditional entertainment, including Peking-opera playhouses and breathtaking acrobatic shows at Chaoyang Theatre.

Beijing culture

Beijing neighbourhoods

China’s business and financial centre, Shanghai appears to be throwing itself headfirst into the future, with soaring superstructures, opulent shopping malls and the world’s fastest commercial train zipping back and forth from Shanghai Pudong International. Peel your eyes away from the skyline, though, and you’ll see a different side to the city.

To experience real Shanghainese culture, take a stroll along traditional longtang, narrow residential lanes peculiar to Shanghai; tuck in to skewered quail in Qibao Town; watch elderly local residents play cards in Fuxing Park or practise tai chi as the sun rises; and attend a marriage market in People’s Square.

Introducing Shanghai

Visiting Shanghai is a true East-meets-West experience. Buddhist temples, classical gardens and the Old City offer a taste of traditional Chinese culture, while periods of European and American occupation have transformed China’s ‘City on the Sea’ into an international metropolis. The Bund, Shanghai’s busy waterfront on the Huangpu River, is lined with historic buildings of numerous architectural styles that include Art Deco, Renaissance Revival and Neo-Classical. Western influence is apparent in areas such as the former French Concession (FFC), whose tree-lined boulevards, bijou bistros and hip boutiques give the area a distinctly Parisian character.

Shanghai culture

Shanghai neighbourhoods

Things to do

Food & Drink

Places to stay

From gorgeous designs by the famous architect Gaudí to intriguing museums and bustling markets, discover the best things to do in the cosmopolitan city of Barcelona.

Europe

Spain

Barcelona

The Top 14 Things To Do in Barcelona

These two Spanish cities have a long history of rivalry, so we put them to the test when it comes to which has the best nightlife.

Madrid

Barcelona vs Madrid Nightlife: Which is better?

Check out Culture Trip's video guide to Barcelona's mouth-watering Chocolate Museum.

The Ultimate Guide to Barcelona's Chocolate Museum

Check out Culture Trip's video guide to Barcelona's astonishing Bunkers del Carmel and its breathtaking view of the city.

Barcelona's Bunkers del Carmel Offer the Best View of the City

From perching on a market stall to sipping cocktails in medieval alleys, Barcelona's food scene has something for everything. Culture Trip has hand-picked the cream of the crop.

The Top 15 Food Experiences in Barcelona

Read our guide to San Sebastian's top 10 pintxos bars, in the city where they were invented.

The Top 9 Pintxo Bars in San Sebastian, Spain

Read our guide to discovering the amazing flavours of local cuisine on your next trip to Valencia, Spain.

Valencia

Where to Eat in Valencia: The Top 5 Food Experiences You Have to Try

It's about to become much harder to visit Dubrovnik's Medieval old town, a major filming location for HBO's Game of Thrones.

Mallorca

Tourists Will Soon Be Banned From This 'Game of Thrones' Location and Here's Why

Make the most of your time in Barcelona by discovering ten unique experiences you can only find in the Catalan capital.

10 Cultural Experiences You Can Only Find In Barcelona

Read on to find out where you want to get lost in the Catalan capital with this guide to Barcelona's most stunning streets.

The Most Beautiful Streets in Barcelona

These photos of Barcelona are guaranteed to make you want to visit the Catalan capital.

25 Magical Photos of Barcelona That You Wish You'd Taken Yourself

Check out our guide to some of the best places to get those creative juices flowing in the Catalan capital, Barcelona.

The Top 12 Spots to Seek Creative Inspiration in Barcelona

From covert, underground chambers to antique theme parks, we leave the tourist paths to discover some of Barcelona's hidden treasures.

Barcelona’s Best Kept Secrets

Get inspiration for your next trip to Southern Europe with our round-up of Spain's prettiest coastal towns and hotels.

The 11 Most Beautiful Spain Resorts

Planning a visit to Spain? Take a look at our round-up of unmissable things to do and see when you’re exploring Barcelona.

26 Must-Visit Attractions in Barcelona

Shanghai is more than just the Bund. From a renovated slaughterhouse to protected national wetlands, here are Shanghai's most Instagrammable spots.

The Most Instagrammable Spots in Shanghai

Guilin's karst rock formations are some of the most recognizable mountains in China. But how were these amazing peaks formed?

How Were Guilin's Magical Mountains Formed?

From the rollercoasters of Disneyland to the stilt houses of Tai O, these are the 20 things that every visitor must see in Hong Kong.

20 Must-Visit Attractions in Hong Kong

The Best Travel, Food and Culture Guides for China, Asia - Local News & Top Things to Do