I love Beijing! The air quality is terrible, the traffic is a nightmare, and all of the tourist sights are crowded, but I still love Beijing because there is so much to see and do. Locals are very friendly, but make sure you bring a Mandarin phrase book. I easily spent six days here.
Shanghai is like any big city and it feels too Western. The old city and Yuyuan Gardens is touristy but beautiful and the area across the water from the Bund is beautiful. There is not much to do here, so after three days I was ready to move on.
Beijing and the Great Wall of China are two places all first-time visitors should put on their itinerary. To avoid tourist scams (and in Beijing there are many) read about it in your travel guidebook before you go to Beijing.
Xi'an is ok and has great Chinese ambiance within the city walls, but I would not stay here more than two or three days. If you don't care about seeing the Terracotta Army and the Great Mosque, then don't bother to come here. The air quality is very bad here and there's not much to do here other than those two things.
Shanghai is a very beautiful city -- I just love it. Take a river boat and go to Shanghai Tower.
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Despite some negative comments given, Xi'an is a "real" Chinese city. The tourist sights are well known but it's a great city to get out and explore. Especially if you like inexpensive street food.
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