"If China were a flower, Xi'an would be the deep roots, Beijing the sturdy stem, and Shanghai the vibrant bloom."

Beautiful Anicent & Very Modern Country CHINA ❤ in the world :;

Unless I don’t know the meaning of night life, China has good night life. Every city lights up at night, people come out to the parks and squares to exercise and dance, shopping malls are open including entertainment, many restaurants to dine out and street vendors pop up on night markets, completely safe.

I am glad you have placed Chengdu as your second best favourite city. I was a foreign expatriate who worked in China for over 15 year's covering Guangzhou, Xian, Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu and Zhuhai and I had to put Chengdu as my most favorite cities thanks to it's great balance in terms of city  development, lifestyles, cuisine and nearby travel destinations.

So, I spent the entire month of April in mainland China and an additional week in Hong Kong….. and I totally get where you’re coming from.  Chongqing was so bizarrely amazing and I would encourage any first time visitor to spend at least three days there (with a local or guide). I kept getting lost there 😂

My absolute fav city in the world is Hong Kong and if I ever moved to Asia I would want to live in Shenzen.  I had no idea I’d even like Shenzen but I found it leagues more enjoyable than I could ever imagine!  Futian area was amazing but I really vibed with Bao an

I punched the air with joy when you put Chongqing as #1!  After seeing Chongqing in youtube videos, I knew it was somewhere I absolutely had to go to, and a few months later I went.  I had high expectations (watched so many youtube videos of it) and it still blew me away!!   Can't wait to go back and see more of it.

I’ve been to all of the cities you reviewed except Chengdu and Xining. In addition, I’ve been to Nanjing, Qingdao, Wuhan, and Changsha. Nanjing has lots to see. Qingdao is a pretty city with good natural scenery nearby. Wuhan has the Yellow Crane tower and a busy pedestrian shopping street, plus cherry blossoms in late March. Changsha has a lively shopping street, good food, and is two hours from Zhangjiajie which you have to see. Hard for me to rank them all. I’ve enjoyed pretty much all of China. Living in Denver, I guess I need to see Xining the next time I visit China!

I've noticed that many foreign friends are especially fond of Chongqing, which is really interesting. I've been thinking about why that is—maybe it's because this super-modern metropolis, where two rivers converge and which is built into the mountains, is extremely rare anywhere in the world? Chongqing's scenery is indeed very unique, and on top of that, many people love Sichuan cuisine (though actually, as the capital of Sichuan Province, Chengdu also has Sichuan cuisine).

The food in Changsha is really good

Thank for the video.

It is really difficult to rate Chinese cities because they are so diversified in terms of culture, architecture, landscape, food, and even people (considering ethnic minorities) that I believe the rating is much to the rater's personal taste. Thank you anyway for sharing and enjoyed watching. Btw, the information you provided is practical and priceless.👍

I’m actually a Chongqing native, although I’ve lived in Guangzhou for 15 years. Chongqing is my hometown, and I love it, but I also want to describe it as objectively as possible.

Chongqing is now famous online as China’s ultimate cyberpunk city. Its dramatic landscape is truly stunning: buildings climb the mountainsides, roads and railways overlap at different elevations, and the city sits at the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing Rivers. It also has a rough-edged, hot-tempered port-city culture. That history helped shape the local love of spicy food and the straightforward, decisive personality of Chongqing people. In some ways, they remind me of Texans in the United States.

But there are things tourists usually don’t see. Local incomes are relatively low by Chinese urban standards. An ordinary person may earn only a little over RMB 4,000 a month—roughly US$600–700—while entertainment and other consumer expenses can be comparable to those in China’s other major cities. The food, however, is genuinely distinctive, delicious, and excellent value for money.

Living in Chongqing also means dealing with difficult transportation and navigation. Walking can be surprisingly exhausting. You constantly encounter steep slopes, stairs, narrow corridors, confusing turns, and routes that make perfect sense to locals but leave newcomers completely lost. In this respect, Chongqing has something in common with Hong Kong and San Francisco.

Summers are extremely hot, humid, and oppressive, with temperatures often reaching 36–42°C (97–108°F) or even higher. Winters usually hover just above freezing and rarely fall below 0°C, but the damp cold feels like “magic damage”—it goes straight through your clothes no matter how many layers you wear. Because Chongqing lies south of China’s central-heating boundary, there is no widespread public heating system, so residents must find their own ways to stay warm. The combination of cold and high humidity can feel no more comfortable than winter in northern China, and the dampness is present throughout much of the year.

Personally, I really dislike Chongqing’s weather. But when it comes to food, Chongqing is No. 1—no question.

I don't know if you still drink, but you need to check out Qingdao next. It's supposed to be the beer capital of China. It has cool German history.

Thank you for the tips ...
I been China many times ...
Many are on your list for cities ...my memorable nature adventure list:
Yading
Yubeng
Yangshuo
Zhangjiajie
Jiuzhaigou
Siguniang
Niubeishan
Qinghai
Suzhou
Wuxi
Yixing
Nanjing
Hangzhou
Winter:
Harbin
Changchun
Shenyang
Dalian

Haven't been to china since -96..... but will go back soon Been to some of the places u mentioned but sure I will visit Chongqing next ....nice vid

Your ranking of the Top Cities in China for 2026 are spot on. We've been to seven of the 15 cities. Chengdu is our favorite, particularly for food.
All the best my friend 👍👍 from Jim and Harriet

Thanks for sharing, agree with many of the cities you visited. I would add Nanchang capital of Jiangxi. Not so much as a tourist visit although there is much to see especially from the Han dynasty, but as a  place to live. A modern city of about 7 Million with another 4 million in close areas. Good new airport, fast train to Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong, clean fast easy to use subway with extensive stops. A mixture of traditional China, and the new urban China. Great food, affordable, easy to get around but fewer expats if that is important to you. Reminds me of Queens New York City where I grew up. Big enough to find whatever you need, small enough local shops remember you and your favorite needs.

I just came back from Chongqing this July. Me and my family went back home to Taishan in Guangdong province and we went to Chongqing and it’s beautiful.

I would also recommend Qingdao, especially in the summer, great food, great beer, the sea and the mountain, etc.
Kunming as well, nice weather all year round, the city itself is lovely, and more importantly, as the capital of Yunnan, it's got the connections to so many other beautiful places in Yunnan.

Please visit Wuxi, you will find it beautiful and charming.