Editor's Note: A forum regular, claudeckenni, has traveled to 12 provinces and more than 20 cities in China. To help others enjoy the Middle Kingdon's most amazing places, he picked his favorite spots and shared handy travel tips for each one. Comments are welcome.

1. DUNHUANG

Located at the crossroads of the ancient Silk Road, Dunhuang was one of the most important cities in ancient China. Today, it is a small beautiful town in the Gobi Desert with a population of less than 200,000 people. With its rich history dating back over a thousand years, Dunhuang is a great place to visit for those who wish to experience life in the desert.

Places to visit in Dunhuang:

Mogao Grottoes

The biggest and most important grottoes in China, filled with exquisite Buddhist artifacts and manuscripts. In order to protect the artifacts, the number of visitors is limited and advanced booking is required.

Yueyaquan National Park

A great place for those who wish to experience the desert. Go early in the morning and ride a camel to see the sunrise. Climb to the top of sand dunes and slide down using a "giant wheel". The oasis itself is not too impressive up close, but very beautiful from afar.

Yadan Landforms / Devil City

Beautiful landforms resembling an ancient city in the middle of the desert.

Note:

Do: Watch performances by local residents. Ask your hotel/guide. Some of them are good, some of them are bad. I watched one about the Goddess of Dunhuang and I liked it. It’s depends on your own preference.

Eat:

Lamb meat skewers. They are delicious.

People in Dunhuang seem nicer than in other places in China. The prices for fruit etc are more expensive than any other cities though, because they need to import them from the South. Well, we're in the middle of the desert anyway.

2. HARBIN

Known as a "Winter Paradise", Harbin is one of the coldest places in China. Located in a province bordering Russia, Harbin is heavily influenced by its neighbor, especially regarding architecture and food. The weather is cool in the summer and, in winter, the city hosts the annual "International Harbin Snow and Ice Festival"

Visit:

Harbin International Snow and Ice Festival

Harbin's International Snow and Ice Festival is held in January and February every year, when the weather is the coldest (-15 degrees Celsius to -25 degrees Celsius). The festival is held in three different venues: Sun Island, Ice and Snow World, and Zhaolin Park. If you can only visit one of the venues, I think that Ice and Snow World - located north of the Songhua River - is the best out of the three.

Zhongyang Dajie (Street)

This is the city’s most famous pedestrian street, and it boasts many Russian buildings, restaurants, and shops that sell Russian-made goods.

Also:

Siberian Tiger Preservation Area

Harbin Polar Land (located in Sun Island)

 Yabuli Ski Resort

3. GUILIN

Guilin is a beautiful city that is often portrayed in ancient Chinese paintings and poems. Surrounded by two rivers, four lakes and karst mountains, Guilin is home to 12 ethnic minorities. Mountains, rivers, cities, and people all seem to come together in harmony - this is Guilin. There are many scenic places within short traveling distance.

Visit:

In the city of Guilin:

Elephant Trunk Hill

Sun and Moon Pagoda (It is best to see this pagoda at night)

Diecai Mountain / Fubo Hill (One of them is enough – and the point is to see Guilin from above)

Outside Guilin:

Yangshuo

Once a small and beautiful backpacker destination, it is now heavily commercialized and jam-packed with Chinese tourists. Still, there are many wonderful places in the Li River area - just use it as a sort of base for your adventures.

Xingping

Xingping is a beautiful place just one hour away from Yangshuo (by bus). Here you can see beautiful scenery - as depicted on Chinese 20 Yuan notes.

Longsheng & Longji Paddy terraces

Xiang Gong Mountain

Climb this mountain and see the beautiful scenery of Li River from above

Note:

Eat: Guilin Rice Noodles, Shao Kao (Street BBQ), and Beer Fish. You can find the latter in Yangshuo.

Do:

Ride traditional bamboo rafts on the river

Watch cormorant fishing – a traditional technique using birds

Ride a bike around Yangshuo to enjoy the beautiful countryside

Take a mud bath inside underground caves around Yangshuo

Visit ethnic minority parks and watch their performances

4. DATONG

Datong is a small city located in mountainous Shanxi province. The people in this city have very little experience of dealing with foreigners. When I visited Datong in spring 2013, there was much construction all around the city. Many streets were being torn up while buildings were being torn down - and there was rubble and debris all over the city. Other than the city walls, there is not much to see in the city itself. The main attractions in Datong are not inside the city – but outside. The Hanging Temple is a pretty impressive architectural wonder, and the Yungang Grottoes are the second biggest in China, even bigger and better than Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang, Henan province.

Visit:

Hanging Temple

Yungang Grottoes

5. XINING

Chinese people call Xining the “Summer Resort Capital". Most of the hotels in this city don’t have air conditioning. Why? Because they don't need it! Even in summer, the weather is cool, winds blowing all the time and, at night, you will need a blanket. In the city, there are mosques and building related to Islamic culture – but not much else. But if you get out of the city, you will experience "Tibetan flavors" as Xining is the gateway to the Tibetan plateau.

Visit

Ta'er Si (Kunbum) Monastery - a beautiful Tibetan monastery

Tongren - Take a bus to this small Tibetan town just a few hours away from the city

Xiahe - Hop on a bus to another small Tibetan town, just a few hours away from Tongren

Guide (Gui De) – You can also take a bus to this small ancient Tibetan village located in Yellow River's bank, just a few hours away from the city

Qinghai Lake – And you can also travel by bus to the largest inland saltwater lake in China, just a few hours away from the city

Qilian Mountains - If you go on a road trip to these mountains, you can see very impressive scenery and interact with many Tibetan people along the way

6. XI'AN

If you go and visit big cities in China, you will only see tall buildings, traffic jams, some crowded overly-commercialized fake "ancient towns", and also dark skies due to heavy pollution. That's not the case with Xi'an. Compared to Beijing, Xi'an is much smaller. It was a capital city for about 13 dynasties, and Xi'an still retains most of its ancient glory. There are many historical sites around the city - ancient buildings, wonderful museums, tombs, pagodas, the Terracotta Warriors, delicious cuisine and – in my opinion – the best: the City Walls.

Visit:

Terracotta Warriors

Xi'an Historical Museum, in Small Goose Pagoda area

Muslim District, near the Bell Tower

Hanyangling Museum

City Walls

Note:

Eat: Yang Rou Pao Mo (Bread Crumb Soup with Goat Meat), Rou Jia Mo (Chinese burgers, found in Muslim District)

Do:

Ride a bike along the city walls