AAAAA Tourist Attractions of China


AAAAA is awarded to the most important and best-maintained tourist attractions in the People's Republic of China, given the highest level in the rating categories used by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the [People's Republic of China|Ministry of Culture and Tourism]. As of 2025, there are 359 tourist attractions listed as 5A.

History

The origins of the rating system for tourist attractions are based on criteria first set out in 1999 by the China National Tourism Administration and revised in 2004. The criteria include quality and management factors like ease of transportation links, site safety, cleanliness, etc., and also takes into account the uniqueness and recognition of the sightseeing offers. Tourist attractions were graded according to the criteria on a scale initially from A to AAAA [Tourist Attractions of China|AAAA] with AAAAA or 5As added on later as the highest rating. A group of 66 tourist attractions was certified as the first set of AAAAA rated tourist attractions in 2007. The first batch included many of the most iconic historical sites in China including the Forbidden City and Summer Palace. Additional batches of additional sites have been added including 20 new 5A sites in February 2017. On rare occasions, a few locations have been downgraded from the highest rating category for deficiencies in visitor experience.

List

Heilongjiang

Henan

Guangxi

Province of the [People's Republic of China|Province]PrefectureNameDate of inclusionDescriptionImage
GuangxiGuilinLi River2007
GuangxiGuilinMerryland World2007
GuangxiGuilinJingjiang Princes' Palace2012
GuangxiNanningMount Qingxiu2014
GuangxiGuilinTwo Rivers and [Four Lakes Scenic Area]2017
GuangxiChongzuoDetian Waterfall2018
GuangxiBaiseMemorial Park of [Baise Uprising]2019Site of the 1929–1931 Baise Uprising
GuangxiBeihaiWeizhou Island E'yu Mountain2020
GuangxiHezhouHuangyao Ancient Town2022
GuangxiLiuzhouChengyang Bazhai Scenic Area2024
GuangxiChongzuoHuashan Rock Art2024

Gansu

Downgrading

Tourist sites found deficient by the China National Tourism Administration have lost their 5A accreditation due to deficiencies in visitor experience. In 2015, Shanhai Pass in Hebei was the first tourist site to be downgraded from 5A. The next wave of downgrading occurred in 2016 with the removal of Orange Isle in Hunan and Shenlong Gorge in Chongqing for "security concerns, overpricing, poor environmental management and poor facility maintenance, as well as bad service mainly resulting from a lack of staff members."
ProvincePrefectureNameDate of inclusionDate of delistingDescriptionImage
ChongqingChongqingShenlong Gorge20132016
ShanxiJinzhongQiao Family Compound20142019A 1.1ha courtyard house comprising six large courtyards and 313 rooms built in the shape of a, the character for "double happiness", initially constructed in 1755 for the tofu and tea merchant Qiao Guifa, rebuilt twice, including for the financier Qiao Zhiyong, converted into the Qixian Folk Museum in 1986, and the setting for Zhang Yimou's 1991 Raise the Red Lantern and over 40 other movies.