Cultural Photography Tours & Trips in China

Photograph the massive sandstone pillars at UNESCO-listed Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, which inspired Avatar's floating mountains, and ride up the glass-sided Bailong Elevator built right into the cliff face. See the ancient Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an where over 1,000 individually sculpted soldiers from 264 BC stand guard.

At the UNESCO-listed Longmen Caves, you'll see 100,000 Buddha carvings along the riverbank, then visit the 8,000 life-sized Terracotta Warriors standing in formation at Emperor Qin's tomb near Xian. The towering 13-story Potala Palace dominates Lhasa from multiple viewpoints, and you can watch monks debating Buddhist scriptures at Sera Monastery, founded in 1419. Devotees circle the sacred Jokhang Temple in the vibrant lanes of Barkhor Market.

Spend time at Dujiangyan Panda Base photographing giant pandas munching bamboo while conservationists talk about protecting these endangered animals. Float down the Li River at dawn on a bamboo raft past towering limestone peaks and green rice paddies in the mist, then visit Qixianfeng Tea Plantation.

Head to Cloud Dispersing Pavilion on Huangshan Mountain early morning for sunrise views, where ancient pines like Black Tiger Pine stand against granite peaks rising from seas of clouds. Walk the West Sea Valley's cliff-hugging plank roads to photograph unusual rock formations and mist-covered landscapes that have inspired Chinese artists for centuries. Bishan Village offers a look at rural life, with stops at the CNN-rated Bishan Bookstore and the 1962-era Bishan Crafts Cooperatives where artisans make traditional wares.

Visit the UNESCO-listed Terracotta Army in Xi'an where over 6,000 life-size warriors stand in formation, then check out traditional Qing Dynasty homes at Xiaoguanshan Ancient Folk Culture Park near Fengdu and see the ornate Jade Buddha Temple in Shanghai. There's a night tour of Xi'an where you'll photograph the lit-up Bell Tower and Drum Tower.

Visit Beijing's UNESCO-listed Forbidden City and see the famous Terracotta Warriors at Xian's excavation sites, then head to Chengdu's Panda Conservation Centre to watch giant pandas and cruise along the Yangtze River past the limestone cliffs of the Three Gorges.

In Luoyang, see the Longmen Buddhist Caves where over 100,000 Buddha statues are carved into riverside cliffs, then head to Xian to photograph the famous Terracotta Army. The trip includes the UNESCO-listed Mogao Caves in Dunhuang with 18 monastery complexes cut into mountainsides.