The hardest thing about planning a trip to China is deciding what not to see. Not only is it the third largest country by land area, the Middle Kingdom's diverse landscape includes deserts, mountains and fertile river basins. It has 14,500 kilometers of coastline, shares a common border with 14 countries, and is composed of 56 ethnic groups. What's more, it's home to a handful of the world's best known monuments and several of the most cosmopolitan cities on the globe. With such variety on offer, it's important to establish your travel interests and sightseeing priorities, not to mention your budget for the trip, before picking up a guidebook. Not only will these decisions determine whether you travel by train, plane or bus they will help define your itinerary.