1. National Museum of China

After years of renovation, China’s premier museum, housed in the immense 1950s building on the eastern side of Tiān’ānmén Sq top China tours, finally reopened in 2011. It was a work in progress at the time of research, with some halls still closed, but much of what was open was well worth visiting. The Ancient China exhibition on the basement floor is outstanding. It contains dozens and dozens of stunning pieces, from prehistoric China through to the Qing Dynasty, all displayed beautifully in modern, spacious, low-lit exhibition halls. Look out for the 2000-year-old jade burial suit, made for the clearly well-endowed Western Han Dynasty king Liu Xiu, and the life-sized bronze acupuncture statue, dating from the 15th century. You could easily spend a couple of hours in this exhibition alone.

Also worth seeking out is the Ancient Chinese Money exhibition on the top floor. The Bronze Art and Buddhist Sculpture galleries, one floor below, are also impressive.

Many of the other halls housed temporary art galleries when we last visited, which were eye-catching, but lacked English captions. The museum, which is vast and energy sapping, also has a pleasant ground-floor cafe . Note, you must bring your passport along to gain museum entry.

2. White Cloud Temple

White Cloud Temple China tour deals , once the Taoist centre of northern China, was founded in AD 739, although most of the temple halls date from the Qing dynasty. It’s a lively, huge and fascinating complex of shrines and courtyards, tended by Taoist monks with their hair gathered into topknots.

Near the temple entrance, worshippers rub a polished stone carving for good fortune. The halls at the temple, centre of operations for the Taoist Quanzhen School and abode of the China Taoist Association, are dedicated to a host of Taoist officials and marshals. The Hall of the Jade Emperor celebrates this most famous of Taoist deities, while Taoist housewives cluster earnestly at the Hall to the God of Wealth to divine their financial future. Depictions of the Taoist Hell festoon the walls of the Shrine Hall for the Saviour Worthy .

Drop by White Cloud Temple during the Spring Festival and you will be rewarded with the spectacle of a magnificent temple fair (miàohuì) . Worshippers funnel into the streets around the temple in their thousands, lured by artisans, street performers, wǔshù (martial arts) acts, craft workers, traders and a swarm of snack merchants.

To find the temple, walk south on Baiyun Lu, turn left into Baiyungguan Jie and it’s about 50m up on the left.

tags: China tourism and popular China tour package