Why China Should Be on Your Travel List

May 18, 2026 - Cruises - by Century Cruises

You’ve stood in front of the Colosseum in Rome and walked through the ruins of ancient civilisations. You’ve admired the Acropolis in Greece, and shared mezze under the Mediterranean sun. You’ve cruised the Danube from vibrant Budapest to imperial Vienna, explored masterpieces in the Louvre, and wandered through Christmas markets glowing in the cobbled streets of Amsterdam.

So here’s the question — have you ever considered China for your next holiday?

And if not… why not?

Because China offers everything you already love about Europe — and then expands it on a completely different scale.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites and China’s timeless history

With around 60 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, China rivals countries like Italy in sheer cultural richness. From the Great Wall to the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the Terracotta Warriors, the Giant Buddha of Leshan, the Longmen Grottoes, and the Dazu Rock Carvings — the country is overflowing with landmarks that represent thousands of years of civilisation, philosophy, and artistic achievement.

Together, these landmarks form more than a collection of sites. They are a living record of over 4,000 years of civilisation — where philosophy, culture, and artistic expression have continuously evolved and endured

A Culinary Journey Like No Other

If you enjoy the shared dining style of Greek mezze, you will recognise something familiar in Chinese cuisine. Meals are designed for sharing — a table filled with variety, balance, and contrast.

But Chinese food is not one cuisine — it is an entire world of regional traditions.

Travel north to south and everything changes: ingredients, spices, cooking techniques, even the character of each dish.

In the north, you’ll find hearty wheat-based staples — hand-pulled noodles, steamed buns, dumplings, and pancakes. In places like Harbin, known for its Ice and Snow Festival, dumplings are often filled with rich combinations of meat and walnuts, designed to warm you through harsh winters.

Travel south and the cuisine becomes lighter and more refined. Fish takes centre stage, often delicately steamed to preserve its natural flavour. Rice replaces wheat as the staple grain, giving rise to endless variations of rice noodles — from thin vermicelli to wide ribbons and soft rice rolls.

It’s more than food. It’s geography, climate, and culture expressed on a plate.

A River That Shaped Civilisation

You may have cruised the Danube through the heart of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire, learning about the Habsburg monarchy along the way.

But have you ever considered the Yangtze?

This is the cradle of Chinese civilisation.

Along its banks, ancient kingdoms such as the Ba Kingdom once flourished, particularly around modern-day Chongqing. They left behind a remarkable cultural legacy, including early musical traditions like the Ba “sword dance” and drum rituals that influenced ceremonial and military practices in China for centuries.

A Yangtze River cruise offers the perfect balance — a chance to slow down, reflect, and take in landscapes that shift from dramatic gorges to peaceful waters. And this is where Century Cruises truly delivers, combining comfort, scenery, and cultural depth in one seamless journey.

Art, History, and Modern Expression

If art is what draws you to cities like Paris or Florence, China will not disappoint.

Across the country, museums bring together ancient heritage and modern creativity — sometimes within the same building.

Take Shanghai, for example. Once a colonial trading hub and playground for Western elites, it is now one of the most dynamic cities in the world. At its heart stands the Shanghai Museum — a striking architectural symbol of harmony between heaven and earth. Inside, it features eleven state-of-the-art galleries showcasing internationally recognised collections of bronzes, ceramics, jade, paintings, sculpture, and furniture from the Ming and Qing dynasties.

The Magic of Chinese New Year

If you love Christmas and New Year celebrations abroad, have you ever considered experiencing Chinese New Year in China?

It’s not just a single day — it’s a full festival season. From the first new moon of the year through to the Lantern Festival, the entire country transforms into something completely different.

Families come together, cities glow with lanterns and decorations, and ancient traditions take centre stage in everyday life. What’s fascinating is that this celebration has now become global, with major cities around the world marking Chinese New Year in their own way.

But nothing compares to experiencing it where it all begins.

A Paradise for Train Lovers

If you love rail travel, China is in a league of its own.

From historic steam routes to ultra-modern high-speed bullet trains and cutting-edge maglev technology, the choices are extraordinary. Journeys that would take hours or days elsewhere are covered in comfort and speed — often with a level of punctuality that feels almost unreal if you’re used to European rail networks.

It’s not just transport. It’s part of the experience.

A Journey That Changes Perspective

China might not be the most obvious choice for your next adventure — but perhaps it should be. It is a place where ancient history meets cutting-edge modern life, where every meal tells a story, and where landscapes feel almost surreal.

So why not add China to your bucket list?

Your future self will thank you.

Let Century Cruises design the perfect China Holiday for you. Visit their website www.centurycruise.com for more information.