Destination: China

Itinerary: China's Sacred Sites

After exploring temple architecture in Beijing, head to Chengde to witness the marvellous statue of Guanyin in Puning Temple, before travelling southwest to the Buddhist mountain of Wutai Shan. Then voyage south to Zhengding for its charming legacy of pagodas and temples.

East in Shandong province rises mighty Tai Shan, China's most sacred Taoist peak, overlooking the magnificent Dai Temple. The Buddhist Goddess of Compassion resides on Putuoshan, off the Zhejiang coast. Rising up from Henan province is Song Shan, home to the renowned Shaolin Temple and its band of supernaturally gifted monks. Outside Luo yang are the Longmen Caves while west again in Shaanxi province, Xi'an is famed for its Tang dynasty pagodas and is the gateway to Taoist Hua Shan. Martial arts students will appreciate the Taoist mysteries of Wudang Shan to the southeast, while Émei Shan, in Sichuan province to the southwest, is one of China's most celebrated Buddhist peaks. The world's largest Buddha sits at nearby Leshan. Rising up to the west is Tibet, with its unique and idiosyncratic Buddhist traditions, exemplified by Jokhang Temple, Barkhor, Potala Palace, Samye Monastery and Tashilhunpo Monastery in Shigatse.