The Rating System for Tourist Attractions

AAAAA (5A) are awarded to the most important and best-maintained tourist attractions in China.As of 2020,there are 15 tourist attractions listed as 5A in Sichuan province and 10 in Chongqing Municipality.

The origins of the rating system are based on criteria first set out in 1999 by the China National Tourism Administration (predecessor to the current Ministry of Culture and Tourism) and revised in 2004.The criteria includes quality and management factors like ease of transportation links,site safety,sanitation,etc.and also takes into account the uniqueness and recognition of the sightseeing offering.It is broken up into five categories which are from 1A (or A,the lowest level) to 5A (the highest level).A group of 66 tourist attractions were certified as the first set of 5A rated tourist attractions in 2007,including many of the most iconic historical and cultural sites such as the Forbidden City and Jiuzhaigou.