Shanghai Ranked 3rd Best City for Tourism in China

By Justine Lopez

Beijing has been ranked as the best city for tourism on mainland China. Shanghai and Guangzhou also made the top 10 at #3 and #5, respectively. 

A study conducted by Jiemian.com and toutiao.com ranked each city based on five factors: number of visitors, amount of money generated by tourism, how much tourism contributes to the city’s economy, tourist infrastructure and traffic. 

Looking at the numbers, it’s easy to see why the capital topped the list. 

With its historical and cultural attractions – including the super-popular Palace Museum – tourism is big business in Beijing. Last year, 284 million tourists flocked to the capital. The city made over RMB500 billion in revenue, which makes up a whopping 20 percent of the city’s GDP. 

Shanghai is also a huge draw for domestic and international tourists. The city ranked third on the list. 

In 2016, 300 million people visited Shanghai, making it the second-most visited city. Tourism generated roughly RMB390 billion, which is about 14 percent of the city’s GDP.

It’s no doubt that the new Shanghai Disneyland was a huge draw for Shanghai-bound tourists last year. During its first year, the park drew 11 million visitors. 

Here’s a breakdown of the top 10 cities for tourism on mainland China:

1. Beijing
2. Chongqing
3. Shanghai
4. Tianjin
5. Guangzhou
6. Chengdu
7. Wuhan
8. Hangzhou
9. Suzhou
10. Nanjing

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