Visitors stop for photos on the Great Wall of China. (ROBIN ROBINSON/QMI AGENCY)

Two years after hosting the summer Olympics, all eyes will once again be on China when the World Expo opens in Shanghai on May 1. Some 200 countries are participating in the five-month-long event, which is expected to draw more than 70 million visitors before it wraps up Oct. 3. Those attending the Expo will also want to experience some of China’s other major attractions. These include:

1. Great Wall of China

Sooner or later most visitors to China hit the wall — the Great Wall that is. This icon of China is a series of stone and earth fortifications that stretches some 8,852 km across the country. It was built between the 6th and 16th centuries to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire from invasion.

Images: China's Terracotta Army

Images: Tourism swamps Asia’s most remote places

2. Forbidden City

Officially named the Palace Museum but widely referred to as the Forbidden City, this World Heritage site provides a glimpse into the grandeur and wealth of China’s royal families. Closed off from the world for 500 years, the complex of courtyards, pavilions, great halls, gardens and nearly 10,000 rooms is one of Beijing’s most popular attractions. The Inner Palace served as a royal residence until 1924.

3. Terra Cotta Warriors

Entombed in 210 BC with Qin Shihuan — first emperor of the Qin dynasty — the terracotta army lay undisturbed until 1974, when a farmer discovered it while digging a well. Considered one of the world’s greatest archeological discoveries, the site near Xi’an includes thousands of highly detailed life-size figures.

4. Huangshan

Also called Yellow Mountain, this UNESCO site is actually a mountain range renowned for its beautiful scenery, sunsets, pine forests and jagged granite peaks. Swathed in clouds more than 200 days of the year, the mountaintops provide views of the clouds from above, a phenomenom known as the Sea of Clouds.

5. Tiananmen Square

The 44-hectare city square — the world’s largest — has seen a lot of history. In Imperial times it was a gathering place. In 1949, Chairman Mao Zedong stood at Tiananmen Gate and declared the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Forty years later, students staged pro-democracy protests here. Today, the square draws tourists. At its centre of is the Monument to the Peoples’ Heroes. Surrounding the square are the Gate of Heavenly Peace, the Museum of Chinese History and Museum of the Chinese Revolution, the Great Hall of the People, the Front Gate and the Chairman Mao Mausoleum.

6. Rolling on the river

A cruise on the Yangtze River through the famous Three Gorges is a trip through time. The 193-km route from Chongqing to Yichang — through Qutang Gorge, Wu Gorge and Xiling Gorge — passes deep valleys, emerald-green terraced farms, narrow canyons and the Three Gorges Dam, the world’s largest hydroelectric project.

7. The Temple of Heaven

Now a park, emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties once prayed for good harvests at the Temple of Heaven. Built in 1420 by the Ming Dynasty, the 2,700,000-sq.-metre Temple is bigger than the Forbidden City. Architectural masterpieces include the Circular Mound Altar, Imperial Vault of Heaven and Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest.

8. The Summer Palace

The palace, temple, gardens and lakes of the Summer Palace were once cottage country for Qing-dynasty royals. The 290-hectare lakeside spot is now a popular place for picnics, games, dancing and musical performances. The main building is the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity. The Long Corridor — built so the royals could take in the scenery in all kinds of weather — is perfect for a stroll and adorned with 8,000 paintings.

9. Ming Tombs and Sacred Path

The tombs are the final resting place of 13 emperors, 23 empresses and many imperial concubines, crown princes and princesses. Two of the 13 mausoleums — Changling and Dingling — are open to the public. Changling, the largest, is completely preserved. Dingling is deep underground and spartan. Leading to the tombs is a Sacred Way that symbolizes the road to heaven. Lined with weeping willows and stone statues of humans and animals, it is a lovely walk on a fine day.

10. Local eats

Whether it’s sampling hot and spicy Sichcuan dishes, Peking Duck or Shanghai’s famous xiaolongbao dumplings, don’t miss the many delights of Chinese cuisine. Exotic dishes such as starfish on a stick, 100-year-old eggs or stinky tofu may be acquired tastes but Chinese cuisine is diverse enough to satisfy any palate.