Two favorite provinces of China

[LAKISYLVANIA]

I didn't include Taiwan for political reasons (and because it would have won the poll easily for that reason).

[Chunk Yogurt for President!]

Liaoning and Heilongjiang.  I've travelled around a lot of Northern China, though I wish I had been able to spend more time in Inner Mongolia.

Beijing is definitely where you want to go if you just want a short trip to China.  Hong Kong is a great place too (though I imagine it has changed a lot since I went there several years ago).  Now here's my super-unpopular China opinion:

Shanghai is okay, but not great.

[TDAS04]

Sichuan and Yunnan.

[Progressive Pessimist]

It's hard for me to really say. I can't say I know enough about any of them.

I guess I'll go with Sichuan and Tibet for superficial reasons. Those reasons being great food and sympathy respectively.

[PSOL]

Jiangxi and the regions of Manchuria

[Del Tachi]

Hong Kong SAR and Guangdong

[LAKISYLVANIA]

It's hard for me to really say. I can't say I know enough about any of them.

I guess I'll go with Sichuan and Tibet for superficial reasons. Those reasons being great food and sympathy respectively.

Nature as well.

[It’s so Joever]

Guangdong and Shanghai because I am a large city slut and hate cold weather.

[Santander]

Anyone who really knows Chinese culture would rank Zhejiang #1. #2 for me is Jilin for sentimental reasons.

[Santander]

Shanghai is okay, but not great.

That is a pretty common opinion among Sinophiles. Shanghai is a wonderful city, but probably not the best place to truly experience China as a foreigner. Before COVID, most expats loved Shanghai because they got to live in China without actually feeling like they were living in China. Of course, COVID soured most of their opinions - the international school my friend sent his kids to has seen enrollment drop by a third because so many parents gave up and went home.