Editor's note: Ankit Prasad is a CGTN biz commentator. The article reflects the author's views and not necessarily those of CGTN.

Two weeks is hardly enough time to do justice exploring any country, least of all when the country is as large and diverse as China. But it is certainly sufficient to get a tantalizing glimpse of what's on offer and leave the rest for your imagination and future planning! That's precisely the experience my family and I had as we went on our biggest China adventure yet over the festive holiday.  

Joining us through the journey were droves of kindred travelers — many domestic and many from abroad — all intent on sampling the delectable local fare, diving into the picturesque landscape, feeling the rich culture, and admiring the respectfully-preserved history. And of course, everybody seemed excited to shop all manner of items and carry a keepsake or two home with them.

As we were to find out, not only was it possible to do all of the above in each and every one of the places we visited, but also that it was all deliberately and meticulously facilitated. For a journalist, it was a lesson in developmental economics and forward-thinking people-friendly policy making; not to mention the herculean task of conceptualizing, building and operating so many enormous facilities and services like clockwork.

The dizzying heights and endless skyline of Hong Kong

We started our travels from Hong Kong, a city that has been a layover and business destination for my family for several decades but hadn't been visited purely for tourism yet. Immediately, as we drove into the city on the second-level of a double-decker airport shuttle, it was evident we were entering one of the great metropolises in the world.

The buildings stand tall and are of all shapes, sizes and vintages. From gleaming skyscrapers to venerable old brick-and-mortar high-rises, this is a city that grows mostly upwards — in fact it has the most buildings above a certain height of any place in the world. Remarkably, despite its topography, getting around is fairly comfortable. The ferry from Kowloon to Hong Kong central island is timely, convenient and inexpensive. And if you don't want the scenic routes there's always the subway. The superstars of Hong Kong commute, however, are the double-decker Ding Ding trams and buses, while the gigantic escalator network is a lifeline for pedestrian commuters.

While there are many many attractions, including a Disneyland, for the short-stay mainstream experience we were looking for, all roads effectively start at Victoria Harbour and end at Victoria Peak. From the former, you get to see perhaps the longest super-tall skyline in the world, and from the latter, you can look at it all from above like a soaring eagle. Short of hiking there, there's a popular funicular as well as a bus service that'll get you to a gorgeous viewing deck from where a 3-kilometer circuit around the peak begins. As you walk, a vast panoramic view overlooking the bay and the Hong Kong cityscape unfolds — a true manmade wonder.

Food and shopping, like look and feel, are as you'd expect from a city that perhaps most closely resembles New York. And as far as prices are concerned, the spectrum is vast — from hole-in-the-wall fish noodles and dim-sum to Michelin star options. For us however, another remarkable thing about Hong Kong is that it's a gateway that allow us to enter the Chinese mainland, clearing immigration via train or ferry!

Shenzhen: The world capital of consumer tech shopping 

A 12-minute high-speed rail journey away lies Shenzhen — a very significant location in the history of China's economic rise as it served as one of the first Special Economic Zones, growing from a small fishing village to a bustling 'Robot city' within 3-4 decades. Now, it's a hub for electronics shopping and hardware startups, its bazaars bursting with all manner of consumer electronics and components. From the scale and variety of tech on display, it's clear why Shenzhen is considered the prototyping capital of the world. We too walked out from a quick visit to a tech mall with bags full of AI smartglasses, smartwatches, hairdryers, massagers and even a pair of binoculars!

We didn't need binoculars for the main highlight of our day in Shenzhen, however — a magnificent larger-than-life sound-and-light show was held in the area surrounding the massive civic centre square. Two symmetric clusters of high-rise buildings, each with a super-tall spire, serve as a canvas for a remarkable operatic story. Through sheer scale and spectacle, it'll overwhelm and leave you emotional. In between the shopping and the show, we packed in a buffet-esque rice lunch as well as a highly convenient visit to a beach — the subway at Xiaomesha opens right at the waterfront!

The drama and multiple dimensions of Chongqing

The next morning, we undertook the longest single journey of our trip — an epic 2000-km train ride to Chongqing, which our high-speed train accomplished in just 7 hours! There's nothing quite like it: The train travels intermittently through tunnels and sky-high mountains, providing breathtaking glimpses of densely forested mountains and deep valleys. The cavernous Chongqingxi railway station, which isn't even the biggest the city boasts, is conveniently serviced by the subway, and within an hour we were entering our place of stay.

For Chongqing we had decided to indulge a bit, renting a beautiful 3-bedroom palatial apartment with stunning balcony views overlooking the defining geographic feature of Chongqing — the confluence of the mighty Yangtze and Jialing rivers! By evening, the scene had turned into something from sci-fi. The enormous mecha-esque opera house in front of us was lit up in dazzling lights, flanked by a pair of towering suspension bridges. Below, on the riverside docks, large river-cruises were beginning to cue the music for their on-deck soirees. And while the view and apartment were spectacular, it was all reasonably affordable — here, indulgence needn't mean spending a fortune!

Resisting the urge to spend the entire Chongqing stay admiring the balcony view, we ventured into one of the most astonishing cities in the world. Chongqing, even more than Hong Kong, is a multi-dimensional city. It exists in levels — you may think you're on a vast town square at ground level, but reach the end and you’ll find out you're 50m up on the roof of a building! It has landmarks of exceeding importance to the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45), as well as spiritual retreats. Overwhelmingly, however, it's a gigantic bustling economic hub — by many metrics one of the largest cities in the world.

We made for two of its eyecatching attractions — the Liziba monorail station, where the train stops inside a residential building, and the Chongqing Zoo, where for the first time I laid eyes on a Panda! Alongside the "world's cutest diplomat," the zoo holds an impressive collection of rhinos, red pandas, reptiles, fish and big cats. In the evening, the Hongyadong complex is a sight for sore eyes and a hub for selfie-takers and professional photoshoots. Finally, the famed Chongqing hotpot, which is a gastronomic experience you want to be mentally prepared for. As our Indian tastebuds are used to spice, we quickly got the hang of things. An added advantage for non-meateaters and vegans is that a lot of vegetarian fare goes very well in a hot-pot!

The momentous history and cultured aesthetics of Xi'an

After three gruelling days in Chongqing, we swapped its stratospheric towers and gleaming sun for the sedate old-world charm, mists and mysticism of Xi'an. Immediately in Xi'an you know you've entered a place of great historical significance. The city map shows a walled inner city complex, which you can climb and walk atop. In fact, the 13km wall, restored in the 1980s and 90s, is wide enough to be a 4-lane highway, and you can even rent bicycles and ride them on top of it! In Xi'an, we experienced three stunning things — the Terracotta warriors, the Wild Goose Pagoda area, and the bustling Xinjiang community area and cuisine inside the inner city walls.

Every aspect of the Terracotta army and Qinshihuang mausoleum are fascinating. From the warriors themselves, to the story of how they were rediscovered. Just as incredible is the fact that much of the archaeological work is ongoing. The emperor's tomb itself has not been excavated, which speaks volumes of the maturity and sensitivity of the authorities, who want to be confident they'll do no harm before they go digging! The entire process of visiting the area was also smooth and inexpensive — a long subway ride and a shuttle bus to the archaeological park.   

Finally, before we left Xi'an, we enjoyed a scintillating evening at the Wild Goose Pagoda and the Great Tang Mall pedestrian area, which was crawling with hundreds upon hundreds of people dressed in colorful Hanfu. The autumn trees, red walls and fountain pools served as perfect backdrops for many photoshoots, and the evening culminated with a spectacular fountain-light show that compensated us for having missed the drone show in Chongqing.

Travel has rarely been so hassle-free and rewarding

From there, it was back to Beijing which we've come to know a bit by now. A day-long visit to the Forbidden City and a midnight cycle-ride on shared-App bikes across the Tiananmen area gave us plenty of time to reflect on what had been a silky-smooth trip, and list places we'd like to visit next time. Everything, from the 349 km/h trains and last-mile connectivity, to the BnBs and the tourist attractions themselves, had worked without a hitch — which seasoned travellers will know is exceedingly rare. And to top it off was the warmth of the people we met — making friendly inquiries about where we're from or asking to take photos with us, or in one case, letting me fly their kite-dragon in Xi'an!

In a way, the only bittersweet thing is that there's just too much to explore, and hoping to see it all is fighting a losing battle. Because like any great tourism hub, there is an unmistakable effort to streamline the experience and grow the ecosystem. The Terracotta Warriors park will exit into a vast commercial area with shops and restaurants; each city will contain green spaces and parks for an evening stroll; old monuments will be given a facelift and made the centerpieces of vibrant pedestrian zones. The scale is constantly growing and attention to detail is exceptional. So there is really only one thing to do: Make your plans!