Beijing has been included in National Geographic's list of the best places in the world to travel to in 2026, making it the only city from China to be featured this year. The magazine highlights the city's "epic history, cultural treasures, and exciting excursions" as reasons to visit.

[Photo via People's Daily]

According to the magazine, Beijing has three significant advantages in this regard.

The first is that Beijing serves as the capital with rich cultural legacies. The magazine underlines the city's UNESCO World Heritage sites as must-visit attractions, including the Forbidden City and the Beijing Central Axis (a nearly 8-kilometer strip of imperial and ceremonial buildings and gardens), as well as the Ming Dynasty Imperial Tombs, which are historically significant and waiting for tourists to explore. 

The second advantage is its rational and high-quality planning and management of tourism resources. Beijing excels in tourism planning compared with many of its counterparts, thanks to the emphasis placed and facilitation measures taken by the city's administration. National Geographic acknowledges Beijing's efforts in offering global travelers a convenient, in-depth exploration of its sights including the grand view of the Central Axis and the unique Great Wall at night, while implementing increasingly refined visa-free policies and other preferential policies for the public.

The third advantage is its efficient and convenient travel services. With continuous advancements in digital and smart tourism services over the past few years, tourists' overall experiences have been steadily improving. Quoting the magazine, "Travelers can now tap in and out of the Beijing Subway using foreign credit cards, and Chinese smartphone apps are slowly offering versions with English interfaces, making exploration smoother than ever."

The roll-out of visa-free transit policies, specialty tourism projects, and preferential measures for the public have all also contributed to Beijing's successful entry into the list. 

(Source: Beijing Fabu)