故宫 The Palace Museum Forbidden City — the dragon’s jewel 阿房宫 Epang Palace Grandest palace remained a dream 布达拉宫 Potala PalaceThe tallest ancient palace 大明宫 Daming PalaceOnce world’s largest imperial palace 皇家坛庙 Imperial Temples Imperial temples, altars dot Beijing 颐和园 Summer Palace A best preserved imperial park圆明园 Old Summer Palace ‘Versailles of East’ destroyed in war 华清池 Huaqing Pool A pool where power and lust collide 秦皇陵 Mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang Grand mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor 乾陵 Qianling MausoleumChina’s only empress rests at Qianling Mausoleum 十三陵 The Ming TombsThirteen emperors’ burial sites ‘masterpieces’ 长城 The Great Wall Wall part of complex defense network西安城墙 The Xi’an City Wall Defense included ingenious features 苏州城墙 The Suzhou City Wall Wall very effective against invaders 登封观星台 Dengfeng Observatory Tower used to make age’s best calendar 岳阳楼 Yueyang Tower Yueyang tops among ancient towers 白马寺 White Horse Temple Dream led to China’s first Buddhist temple 悬空寺 The Hanging Temple Ancient architects produce spectacular mountain temple五台山 Mount Wutai Temple mount full of treasures 大昭寺 The Jokhang Temple Tibet’s sacred monastery a living relic 应县木塔 The Sakyamuni PagodaShanxi pagoda world’s oldest wood tower大理三塔 Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple Yunnan’s Buddhist gems offer quiet beauty 莫高窟 Mogao GrottoesSpiritual, artistic and architectural wonders 化觉巷清真寺 The Great Mosque of Xi’an Great Mosque stands the test of time 苏公塔礼拜寺 Emin Minaret Mosque Worshippers, tourists revere this towering symbol of Islam 永乐宫 The Palace of Eternal Joy Huge Taoist temple in Shanxi known for murals, Yuan styling 四合院 Beijing Courtyard House Traditional dwellings designed with care 皖南民居 Southern Anhui Village Residences Anhui’s rural gems of home building石库门 Stone-Framed-Gate House City lanes fuse Chinese, Western styles窑洞 Cave House Northern China’s cave houses last centuries 山西民居 Shanxi Courtyard House Ancient Shanxi houses strong yet elaborate 客家民居 Hakka Walled Village Walled villages built for families, defense 干栏式房屋 Stilt House Building a home above land or water 骑楼 Arcade Building Veranda-style buildings populate the south 开平碉楼 Kaiping Tower Guangdong towers show Western influence 豫园 Yuyuan GardenClassic garden a place of rare tranquility 苏州园林 Classic Gardens of Suzhou Creating harmony between man and nature 岭南园林 Lingnan Gardens Southern Chinese gardens open, natural梁桥 Beam Bridge Bridge building in China spans 6,000 years 拱桥 Arch Bridge Arch bridges combine function and beauty 悬索桥 Suspension Bridge Providing a connection through history 书院 Academy of Classic Learning Academy designs display beauty of simplicity 会馆 Guild Hall Ancient homes from home 曲阜孔子庙 Temple of Confucius, Qufu Much thought went into philosopher’s temple 祠堂 Ancestral Temple Homes for those no longer of this world