China’s 5A Scenic Spots and Beyond — The Real Ones Worth Visiting

China ranks its scenic areas from A to AAAAA. 5A is the top class — a badge for “world-level” tourism.

To earn it, a site must pass 12 tests on transport, safety, service, and visitor capacity.

By 2025, China has 358 of them.

But here’s the thing — 5A doesn’t always mean great.

Many 5A sites are too crowded, commercial, or dull. Meanwhile, some of China’s most moving places never made the list.

This series is about both. To find the 5A sites truly worth your time, and the non-5A places that are far beyond them.

We’ll go city by city, to uncover the real landscapes that stay with you — not just the rated ones.