Scanning my RSS feeds I came across this entry in Digg. I'm sure there are a million others like it but looking over this author's list of what you MUST SEE in China made me realize just how easy it is to under-explore your own backyard. But looking over this list also reminds me of a quote I read years ago, "I've been to London. So now I don't have to back there again"*. Traveling is not about crossing places off a list. So it's with a bit of awkwardness that I put together this travel list. Would all the blogger's destinations make your top 10? Would mine? Where else? The Beijing Zoo hardly strikes me as a place worthwhile to visit much less support by purchasing an entrance ticket.

Here's my latest version of the 10 greatest things to do in China, so far:

1. Hiking the Great Wall (Mutianyu is great)
2. Enjoying the spoils of imperialism at the Starbucks inside the Forbidden City (when it was there)
3. Realizing the lingering potency of Mao's reign at his mausoleum in Tiananmen Square
4. A spicy 2am hot pot meal off Guijie in Beijing after a night of local live music and lots of beer in Beijing
5. Hiking or mt. biking through bamboo forests near Xidi, Anhui province
6. Biking through or hot air balloon ride over the limestone peaks of Yangshou, Guilin (not during peak tourist season)
7. Clubbing in Shanghai
8. The most expensive and luxurious bathhouse in whatever 2nd tier city of China
9. Biking, ideally through the old hutongs, of Beijing
10. Blowing up fireworks and celebrating Chinese New Year in every single way

Those are some of mine. What are yours?! Looking ahead, I'm composing a list of the "experiences" it's amazing to have in China. - Dating a Chinese person - Having an ayi - Speaking Chinese - Yadda yadda

Here's the Digg article's: Here are Things to do on an unforgettable tour in China by Lola Adewoyin

• The Great Wall of China One of the must sees on a tour to China, the Great Wall of China is an amazing man made wonder of the world. This wall is the one of the symbols of China which played a great role during the Chinese revolution. It was built for defense purposes to wade off invaders from the north. It extends to a length of about 5000km.

• The Terracotta Warriors and Horses of Emperor Qin Shi Huang Located in Xian, this is another amazing man made wonder of the world. This is the site which houses about 6000 life sized pottery warriors and horses of the dead emperor's guards during the revolution. A major tourist destination in Xian, its amazing to see each pottery soldiers weigh over 300kg standing 1.86m row after row in a battle formation.

• The Dazu Rock Carvings in Chongqing The Dazu Rock Carvings dates back to the years of the Tang dynasty which continued until the Ming and Qing dynasty. It now enjoys popularity alongside the Yungang and Longmen Grottoes. The Carvings refer to all the cliff side carvings in the Dazu region which is one of the largest and preserved cultural relic sites of China. This area has about 50,000 Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian rock carvings and 100,000 characters of inscriptions on all the carvings.

• The Li River Scenery. Starting from the Mao'er Mountain northeast of Guilin, the Li river flows southeast about 437km passing through 5 different provinces Guilin, Yangshuo, Pingle, Zhaoping and finally meeting Xi river in Wulin. This area is the largest and beautiful river scenes in China which attracts millions of visitors all year round. The 83km waterway from Guilin to Yangshuo is the most significant part of the Li River. This part is an area which makes you appreciate nature best due to its rolling hills, steep cliffs, artistically shaped caves - the perfect paradise worth discovering for an explorer.

• Acrobatic Shows. Among all the cities in China, Shanghai boasts of the best Acrobatic Troupe. This troupe has performed around the globe and proves to be a wonderful night out as a visitor in Shanghai. The tightly choreographed and artistic shows are performed regularly at the Shanghai Center on Nanjing Xi Lu. Something indeed to add to your list of to dos on your next Shanghai tour.

• Bad Peoples Hanging Coffins. This is an interesting sight to see in Bawu Gorge in Chongqing. It is a display of about 108 hanging coffins which is a representation of one of China's ancient histories. It was believed in the past that the higher a dead man was buried, the more dutiful their descendants would be, and hence the ranking coffin represented the rank of the dead person.

• The Beijing Zoo This is the largest zoo in China located in the North West part of Beijing. It used to be a private garden owned by a royal Qing aristocrat until it was converted to a zoo in 1901. The zoo contains some 6000 animals of different species from different parts of the country. Visiting the Beijing zoo and many of the temples and museums in Beijing can make your Beijing tour a remarkable one. There are a few places of interests in Beijing

• The Three Gorges on the Yangtze River The Three gorges along the Yangtze River which is the Qutang Gorge, Wu Gorge and Xiling Gorge all on the upper reaches of the area. Extending from Sichuan province in the west to Wuchang in the east, the 189km long river is a popular water route for many tourists. The scenery along the Yangtze River cruise is something worth seeing for nature lovers. It has also become a regular water way trade route between the East and the West.

• Mountaineering. With nine of the world's 14 peaks above 8,000 meters in China, including the two highest, China is known to be the mountaineering capital of the world. With a lot of tourists from all over the world, most hikers team up and travel long distances discovering hills and saves in the mountainous regions in China.

• Martial Arts Even if you do not know how to practice this sport, it makes for good entertaining purposes. It is practiced anywhere in China, so wherever you find yourself, you can always enjoy some martial arts.