Hukou waterfall is one of the 12 tourist attractions added to the 5A category by China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism on Wednesday. 5A is the highest score given to tourist attractions in China, indicating exceptional overall tourism quality. Photo: VCG

Jiangbulake in Qitai county in Changji, Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Called Jiangbrak in Kazakh, meaning “source of holy water”, Jiangbulake is an awe-inspiring grassland landscape. Photo: VCG

Guan’egou national forest park is located in Longnan, Northwest China’s Gansu province, and spans 66 square kilometers, with forest coverage of 75%. Photo: Courtesy of Guan’egou National Forest Park

Located in Xinyang, Central China’s Henan province, Jigong mountain was named for its shape, resembling a rooster about to take flight. Photo: VCG

Weishan lake in East China’s Shandong province, is the largest interconnected bodies of water in North China that include Zhaoyang, Dushan and Nanyang. Together they form the largest freshwater lake system in the north of the country, and an important part of the South-North Water Diversion Project. Photo: VCG

The Three Gorges waterfall, 102 meters high at its peak, as seen on a misty day. Photo: VCG

Taizhou Fucheng cultural tourism area is in East China’s Zhejiang province, and known for including a 5000-meter part of the Great Wall. Photo: Courtesy of Fucheng Cultural Tourism Area

Located in Chengdu, Southwest China’s Sichuan province, Anren ancient town is dotted with old black brick buildings, including 40 mansions built in the Republican era (1912 - 1949). Photo: Courtesy of Anren Ancient Town

Listed as a national park in 1993, the Sanbai mountains are famous for their volcanic landform, deep pools, jungles, ancient trees, and rare birds and beasts. Photo: VCG

Baidi city and Qutang gorge are located at the western end of the Three Gorges on the Yangtze River. The former is an ancient temple complex overlooking Qutang gorge, and the latter is the shortest and most majestic of the gorges. Photo: cq.gov.cn

Zhijin cave in Southwest China’s Guizhou province hosts an amazing underground world with over 40 types of karst formation, including 100-meter stalagmites and stalactites. Photo: VCG

Located in South China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Huangyao ancient town has existed for over a thousand years, and is crammed full of folk dwellings, temples and ancestral halls. Photo: VCG