China is the world’s fourth largest country, with an ancient culture dating back thousands of years. With its uniqueness and exceptional beauty that can be found nowhere else, China can turn your honeymoon into a fairytale like few other countries can. When you arrive in China, you are entering a different world.
There is an abundance of folklore and tradition that influences the lives of the Chinese. It’s what makes China unique and exotic. Dragons figure large in Chinese culture, and there is a reason. In China, the dragon is all about prosperity, vitality, success, and power. What a wonderful place to begin your life together.
China has a wealth of architectural marvels that date back for centuries. Many of these structures are an indication of the owner’s status – the bigger the building, the wealthier the owner. Then there are the magical gardens, with bridges and ponds and waterfalls. Regardless of where you turn, there is beauty.
One of the cities that should be a part of your China honeymoon is its capital, Beijing. And there is much to see in Beijing.
This incredible complex is the largest palace in the world. It is so huge that it might take more than one visit. There are close to 1,000 buildings with thousands of rooms, all filled with ancient Chinese treasures, and a million pieces of art. There are two-hour tours, as well as four-day tours available to see it all. If pressed for time, concentrate on the main halls, such as the Hall of Mental Cultivation (bed chamber), Palace of Compassion and Tranquility (wives’ rooms), and the Literary Profundity (library).
The Great Wall begins just outside of Beijing. This incredible piece of construction took several dynasties to complete. It is a favorite hiking place, with tours that last from one to three days.
There is more to do on the Great Wall than hike, however. Hiking at night when the world around is lit up is a spectacular sight. You can camp out on the Great Wall or just enjoy a picnic amid a millennium of history. You will be creating some incredible China honeymoon memories.
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Table of Contents
Best Hotels for Your China Honeymoon 🏨
About China 📖
Best Time to Visit China 📅
Top Things to do in China 👫
Weather in China ☀️
The St. Regis Changsha
The First and Only St. Regis in Changsha.
188 exquisitely styled guest rooms and suites are offered by the St. Regis Changsha, boasting sweeping city views, forming a luxurious respite from the frenetic pace of urban life. With subtle Chinese touches, the rooms are beautifully designed and decorated. The St. Regis Athletic Club or the top-level swimming pool will rejuvenate you. In six exceptional restaurants and bars, accomplished chefs present exquisite dining experiences.
Spanning 2,000 sqm, the Grand Ballroom and eight other elegant meeting rooms provide magnificent business and social event settings. With subtle Chinese touches, expect sumptuous décor and high-end amenities. St. Regis Butler Service improves every experience. For business lunches and family gatherings, two private rooms are ideal. Yan Ting specializes in refined Cantonese cuisine with exquisite modern presentations, as well as authentic Hunan dishes amid classic and contemporary Chinese décor.
More Information on The St. Regis Changsha
Average Price Range: $222 to $258
All Inclusive: No
Adults Only: Yes
Villas Available: No
Distance to Airport: 17 minutes
Number of Rooms: 188
The Venetian Macao, Macao
Macau is known as the “Monte Carlo of the Orient,” and is home to many of the world’s largest casinos. The Venetian Macao is the sixth largest structure in the world and the single biggest casino location anywhere on the planet. It cost $2.4bn to build and boasts a whopping 550,000 square foot gaming floor. The suites are luxurious, perfect for any honeymooning couple, and you can enjoy restaurants featuring cuisine from around the world, garden swimming pools and a sports event hall, too.
More Information on The Venetian Macao, Macao
Average Price Range: $150 to $350
All Inclusive: No
Adults Only: No
Villas Available: No
Number of Rooms: 3000
The St. Regis Lhasa Resort
Intimate Dinner Featuring Authentic Delicacies
The St. Regis Lhasa Resort offers luxury accommodation in a legendary travel destination, set amid the timeless splendor of the ancient Barkhor area. Discover a rejuvenating respite overlooking the wonderful landscape of Tibet and the magnificent Palace of Potala. In stylishly appointed hotel rooms and suites with contemporary essentials, luxury amenities, stunning views, and motifs inspired by the nearby Sera Monastery, you can embrace effortless relaxation. Ignite your senses in the Hotel’s distinctive restaurants with delectable Chinese cuisine and flavorful international fare.
Explore historic attractions such as Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street, and the legendary Palace of Potala. Celebrate and excel in a sophisticated space for events, magically designed for ideal meetings, glamorous weddings, and memorable social commitments. Punctuate a full day of work or sightseeing at the resort spa with a rejuvenating treatment. The hotel, situated on the legendary Roof of the World, is a picturesque paradise for your visit to Tibet.
More Information on The St. Regis Lhasa Resort
Average Price Range: $74 to $195
All Inclusive: No
Adults Only: No
Villas Available: No
Distance to Airport: 41 minutes
Number of Rooms: 162
The St. Regis Shanghai Jingan
Modern Ambience, Regional Design, World Class
St. Regis Shanghai Jingan is located on West Beijing Road in the heart of Shanghai’s cultural and business center, the Jingan District. By combining traditional English and Chinese palatial styles with elements of Chinese art and culture, such as calligraphy and handcrafted gold foil paintings, the hotel’s elegant interiors create an oasis of calm.
Five glass sculptures by world-renowned glass sculptor Dale Chihuly are featured in the hotel’s public space for added visual interest. The St. Regis Shanghai Jingan’s has 491 exquisitely styled guest rooms, six separate restaurants and bars, the signature Iridium Spa and fitness center of the St. Regis brand, and 1,400 square meters of Astor Ballroom with a 95 square meter LED wall projection system, bringing the guest an exquisite experience while staying with us. The Club House on the 55th floor offers exclusive space and benefits to guests in the Executive Deluxe Room and above room types.
More Information on The St. Regis Shanghai Jingan
Average Price Range: $226 to $293
All Inclusive: No
Adults Only: No
Villas Available: No
Distance to Airport: 11 minutes
Number of Rooms: 491
The St. Regis Beijing
Historic and prestigious in the Heart of China
Located in the heart of the business, shopping, and diplomatic districts of Beijing, the luxurious hotel offers many of The St. Regis New York’s legendary St. Regis traditions, including the personalized Butler Service, the Evening Ritual, Afternoon Tea, and the Bloody Mary St. Regis.
Enjoy yourself at the Iridium Spa, complete with a natural hot spring that originates 1,500 meters below the surface, after a stroll along Wangfujing, a famous shopping street. Let us pamper you with additional luxurious facilities, such as a beautiful swimming pool with glass doors, a landscaped garden of 6,000 square meters, three excellent restaurants, and two signature bars.
A broad array of prominent global lifestyle and travel publications, including Condé Nast Traveler, Travel & Leisure, Institutional Investor, and Elite Traveler, have consistently recognized St. Regis Beijing. Find it all at The St. Regis Beijing, in Beijing, China, an elegant expression of hotel luxury.
More Information on The St. Regis Beijing
Average Price Range: $188 to $267
All Inclusive: No
Adults Only: No
Villas Available: No
Distance to Airport: 35 minutes
Number of Rooms: 258
The St. Regis Sanya Yalong Bay Resort
Opportunity to Charter Engaging Activities
You will soon discover that you have found a little piece of paradise at The St. Regis Sanya Yalong Bay Resort, gazing at the glistening blue waters, lush green palms, and gentle mountainsides. Sanya is often referred to as the “Hawaii of the East,” as Hainan’s southernmost tip.
Surrounding the hotel is a marina and a protected mangrove forest, immersing you in natural beauty. Enjoy a dip on our tranquil beach in one of the pools or lounge. In each of our three restaurants and two bars, with authentic flavors and relaxing atmospheres, culinary experiences await you. The 396 rooms at the hotel consist of 37 suites and 28 beach villas overlooking Yalong Bay. Iridium Spa provides unique elegance, delivering personalized experiences. During your stay in Sanya, St. Regis Butlers provides flawless, personalized attention – offering one point of contact to answer all your questions and meet all your needs.
More Information on The St. Regis Sanya Yalong Bay Resort
Average Price Range: $150 to $254
All Inclusive: No
Adults Only: No
Villas Available: Yes
Distance to Airport: 50 minutes
Number of Rooms: 396
Xishuangbanna Resort
Explore the Great Outdoors and Experience Culture Escapes
A special Dai culture, cool tropical climate, and natural beauty can be found on Yunnan’s southernmost border with Myanmar and Laos. With an unrivaled setting on the banks of the Luosuo River overlooking famous botanical gardens, Anantara Xishuangbanna Resort is perfectly positioned to offer both adventure and tranquillity.
Meet the various hill tribes and trek into the mountains. Gaze across the valley at the last wild elephants of China. For infinity pool unwinding and Anantara Spa bliss, return to the resort. With modern tropical décor, hardwood floors, and terrazzo bathrooms, deluxe rooms are spacious and quiet. Lounge on a private balcony or terrace, or in a soaking tub overlooking the garden or river.
Private walled havens surrounded by green greenery or overlooking the Luosuo are pool villas. Spend quiet days with refreshments brought to you by your butler in a poolside pavilion. Anantara Xishuangbanna invites you to experience the region’s flavors.
More Information on Xishuangbanna Resort
Average Price Range: $198 to $307
All Inclusive: No
Adults Only: Yes
Villas Available: Yes
Distance to Airport: 65 minutes
Number of Rooms: 103
About China
China has a culture 4,000 years old. It was thriving when many westerners were still lingering in caves. So many inventions we take for granted actually came from China. These would be the printing press, paper, gunpowder, tea, porcelain, and silk, a beautiful material that may be 10,000 years old. The clock was invented in China around 750 AD.
The West developed a quick interest in China and all its goods. This led to the Silk Road, trade routes that introduced tea, jade, silk, and spices to eager westerners. It drew China and the West closer and closer.
China was not only a provider of needed goods. It has a landscape that encompasses everything from the deserts of Mongolia to the beautiful Tibetan lakes to the rice terraces in southern China. There are stunning beaches and mountains that stretch into the clouds.
If you think your Chinese restaurant around the corner has Chinese cuisine, you haven’t been to China. China takes its food seriously. There are many different regional cooking styles, such as Hunan, Zhejian, Cantonese, Shandong, Anhui, Sichuan, Fujian, and Jiangsu. The different landscapes allow a variety of different foods to be grown in different regions. However, everyone should try a genuine crispy Peking Duck. There is nothing quite like it.
Music and color have always been important in China, and Chinese opera combines both. In Chinese opera, a face painted red represents loyalty; black means valor; golden and silver faces are bathed in mystery; and yellow and white faces represent a duplicitous character. There are opera houses throughout China. Perhaps the most famous is the National Grand Theater in Beijing. Shaped like a half-shell without windows, the design itself is interestingly modern while being situated only a few meters from the ancient Forbidden City. The National Grand Theater includes an opera, a concert hall, as well as an art exhibit.
Shanghai is another major Chinese city that shouldn’t be missed. Call it the anti-Beijing. Instead of traditional Chinese architecture and palaces, Shanghai sports the modernity and sensuality of a Paris while attempting to blend the old and the new. Tall buildings are placed amid temples such as the Jade Buddha Temple with its two large Buddhas. When in Shanghai, you either feel you are in the East or the West, depending on which way you turn. The city is also a shopping mecca filled with luxury goods, especially when you take a stroll down Nanjing Road.
Shanghai comes to life in the evening. From opera and dance to hopping nightclubs and bars, you will be entertained until sunrise.
The choice between visiting Shanghai and Hong Kong during your China honeymoon is not easy. Both cities have breathtaking architecture, although perhaps Shanghai a bit more so. You’ll find the world’s second tallest building in Shanghai, namely the Shanghai Tower.
Hong Kong tends to be more expensive; you might get more value for your money in Shanghai.
Best Time to Visit China
China is so vast and diverse, each season holds something special.
Kunming, called the Eternal Spring City, is in Yunnan Province. Here, you will find the largest garden in the world, stunning every spring as the Rapeseed flowers burst into bloom. Nature presents a painting that no artist could equal. While in Yunnan, discover the trails up Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
Tibet, and its capital, Lhasa, comes to life in the spring. Nyingchi is east of Lhasa and is famed for its incredible peach blossoms that cover the entire area. There are thousands of peach trees wherever you look. The Peach Blossom Festival lasts from April to May, with photo contests and festivals embracing the blossoms while snow-capped mountains loom above.
The Yangtze River is China’s mightiest river. The best time for a cruise on the Yangtze is in the summer, when the countryside peaks to perfection. There are cruises for as long as two weeks which allow you to experience all the major sights, from Chongquing, Nanjing, to Shanghai, and many other cities. Emerge yourself in local culture during shore excursions and discover what makes the Yangtze so mighty.
Hong Kong is the perfect China honeymoon destination in the winter. The temperature is a pleasant yet refreshing 60 degrees, perfect for celebrating Christmas, New Year’s, and the Chinese New Year in February. For Chinese New Year, the flower markets in Hong Kong are open 24 hours. There are fireworks over Victoria Harbor, and the Tsim Sha Tsui district is filled with singing and dancing. If you are feeling lucky, check out the most important horse race of the year at the Sha Tin Racecourse.
Top Things to do in China
Lhasa has a high altitude and gorgeous view. It’s the heart of Tibetan Buddhism. The Potala Palace is a huge complex of houses, chapels, and towers. It has been called the “most beautiful architectural buildings in the world.” Here, you can learn about Tibetan culture and art. When you climb the stairs of the complex, you will be treated to an unbelievable view of Lhasa.
Lamma is one of Hong Kong’s many islands and makes a terrific day trip. There are villages and hiking trails to explore, as well as relaxing beaches to enjoy. The hiking trail begins by the ferry landing and continues northwest to a fabulous seafood restaurant. Lamma can easily be reached by ferry from Hong Kong’s Pier 4. Worth a visit is the Tin Hau Temple. There are many Tin Hau Temples in China, but this one stands out due to its two western-style lions in the front – a distinction that comes as an irritant to many temple purists.
The Longji terraces near Guilin grow along the side of the mountains in a distinctive pattern. It’s a favorite hiking place that offers several views of the rice fields. The best time to go hiking is at dawn and at dusk. You can reach the terraces by bus from Guilin or take a car. For an overnight stay, there are hotels in nearby Ping’an.
While in China, take advantage of a dinner tour and enjoy some vibrant and genuine Chinese delicacies provided by Old Beijing Dinner Tour. The tour is three hours, and you will visit several genuine out-of-the-way Chinese eateries and enjoy some rice wine samples.
This army is a must-see when you are in Xian in northwest China. These warriors were built over 2,000 years ago within the emperor’s tomb to protect him in the afterlife. The tomb was discovered in 1974 and is now a museum. There are three separate pits. The first pit has a display of 2,000 warriors, although there may be 6,000 actual soldiers. Each warrior carries a weapon. Behind the warriors are 38 chariots. Each of the thousands of soldiers has a different face, hairstyle, and clothing. Every one of them was created as an individual.
In the second pit, there are rows of archers and more warriors with weapons. The third pit only has a few warriors. The sights are certainly incredible, but there are no signs in English, so a tour may be a good option.
Prepare to leave the twenty-first century during your China honeymoon. Pingyao is a small city in Shanxi Province. It is a four-hour train ride from Beijing or a two-hour drive from Taiyuan. Why come here? This is the most magnificent example of an ancient Ming dynasty city. It is known as one of the “Four Best Preserved Ancient Cities” in China. It’s as if nothing has changed in thousands of years.
Pingyao is a walled city, and stroll along the wall at sunset is spectacular. An excellent way to see Pingyao is by taking a half-day tour with Red Plum Tour Service. Contact them at 86+15835033752
There are hotels within Pingyao that are built in the Ming Dynasty style. More modern accommodations are available outside the city walls.
Weather in China
China is so large, it has different types of weather, depending on where you are. The north gets cold in the winter. Monsoons bring warmth and humidity to the south during the summer.
Most of northern China experiences extreme winter cold and intense summer heat. There is a large range between the seasonal temperatures, as well as the temperature between day and evening. Sandstorms are not unheard of in Beijing and Inner Mongolia areas
Autumn is an excellent time to visit China, as the weather tends to be mild, and the temperature and the landscapes are filled with colors.
South China, and cities such as Hong Kong and Taiwan, lean toward subtropical weather. The temperatures are high and its rains during the summer. The winters, however, are dry. July and September see occasional typhoons in Shanghai and Guangdong, which should be considered when planning your China honeymoon.
