CTS · play · spot the lie
5 Truths & 1 Lie
Spot the lie about China 🇨🇳
Five of these claims about China's most iconic places are true. One is a famous myth that Westerners have believed for decades. Read each, pick the lie, and we'll show you the truth — plus the CTS tour that takes you to every real spot.
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FStep 1 · pick your guess
Which claim is the lie?
Read all six below first — then tap a letter and reveal the truth.
Read each claim carefully
Five are true. One is a famous myth Westerners have believed for decades. Take your time.
AMt. Huangshan, Anhui — China
Mt. Huangshan's twisted pines and granite peaks inspired over 1,500 years of Chinese landscape painting — including the iconic Welcoming Guest Pine that's been alive for over 1,300 years.
Best of China · 15 days→BTerracotta Army, Xi'an — China
Of the 8,000+ terracotta warriors guarding Emperor Qin Shi Huang's tomb, no two faces are identical — each was modeled on a real soldier from his army 2,200 years ago.
Best of China · 15 days→CShangri-La, Yunnan — China
Shangri-La in Yunnan was renamed in 2001 — the town officially adopted the name of the fictional paradise from James Hilton's 1933 novel “Lost Horizon” to attract international tourists.
Yunnan Explorer · 12 days→DMutianyu Great Wall, Beijing — China
The Great Wall of China is the only man-made structure visible from space with the naked eye, stretching over 21,000 kilometres across the country.
Best of China · 15 days→EZhangjiajie, Hunan — China
Zhangjiajie's sandstone pillars directly inspired the floating Hallelujah Mountains in James Cameron's Avatar (2009) — the producers visited, and one pillar was officially renamed “Avatar Hallelujah Mountain.”
Zhangjiajie Stopover→FJiuzhaigou Valley, Sichuan — China
Jiuzhaigou's brilliant turquoise lakes get their colour from calcium carbonate deposits left by ancient glaciers — the water is so clear you can see up to 40 metres down.
Browse Discovery Tours→Now that you know the truth
See China for yourself
Explore current published tours and destination guides, with product details kept in sync with the latest ME publication.
15 Days · From NZD $4,080 per person
China Discovery — Best of China
Fifteen days from Beijing's Temple of Heaven, Forbidden City, Great Wall and hutongs, by high-speed train to Xi'an's Terracotta Army, then by air to Hangzhou via Puyuan's fashion ancient town, West Lake and Longjing tea, finishing in Shanghai before your return via Beijing.
See itinerary→from 5 days
Beijing & the Great Wall
Mutianyu Wall, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, hutongs. The capital with a local guide — Auckland-departing.
See itinerary→from 4 days
Xi'an & the Terracotta Army
Stand metres from 8,000+ unique warriors, walk the Ming city wall, eat through the Muslim Quarter — Xi'an is the easiest add-on.
See itinerary→8-12 days
Yunnan & Shangri-La
Lijiang, Dali, Shangri-La — minority cultures, snow mountains and tea-horse trails in the most colourful corner of China.
See itinerary→4-6 days
Zhangjiajie Stopover
The Avatar Mountains — vertical sandstone pillars and a glass skywalk. Easy to add to any grand tour as a 'wow' break.
See itinerary→Signature · Discovery · Stopover
Browse all China tours
See every CTS itinerary — NZD pricing, Auckland departures, NZ visa-free until 31 Dec 2026.
See itinerary→NZ-based · Mandarin-speaking · No call centre. Replies in 1 business day.