China is quietly shaping up to be the next big short-haul destination for Southeast Asian travellers, and the numbers make a strong case. Return flights from Singapore start at around $174, and there are direct routes to nine standout cities – no connecting flights required. For Singaporeans, entry is simple too: no visa for stays of up to 30 days, just a digital E-Arrival Card that can be filled in before departure or on arrival.

Chongqing is the one currently all over social media, and for good reason. Skyscrapers perch on steep hillsides, a metro train punches straight through a building at Liziba station, and the riverfront Hongya Cave glows like a scene from a Miyazaki film. It also works as a base – Wulong Karst is two hours away by high-speed rail, and Three Gorges river cruises run three days.

Cheapest of the lot is Haikou, on Hainan Island, reachable in under four hours with Scoot from about $174. Think sandy beaches, water sports year-round, and a night market at Baishamen Beach. From there, Sanya is a 90-minute bullet train away, with beach clubs and hotels in Tianya Town going for under $100 a night.

Chengdu remains the panda capital, home to the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base and its population of giant and red pandas. The city's cafe scene rivals Bangkok's, and Jiuzhaigou National Park – snowy peaks and turquoise lakes – is about 2.5 hours away by bus and train.

Changsha is the gateway to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, whose sandstone pillars inspired the floating mountains in Avatar. Plan more than a day: there's a glass bridge, a canyon and a zipline, plus the ancient waterfall town of Furong and Phoenix Ancient Town nearby.

Kunming, in Yunnan, has jacaranda blooms from April to May and easy access to Dali, often dubbed a Santorini dupe – lake-view rooms from around $244 a night. Xiamen mixes skyscrapers with the car-free colonial island of Gulangyu, a 20-minute ferry ride, and the fortress-like tulou earth buildings inland.

Qingdao trades on its European past: castle-themed hotels, the Badaguan Scenic Area for city walks, and the Tsingtao Beer Museum with fresh samples. Return fares sit under $500. Finally, Hangzhou centres on West Lake, a free UNESCO World Heritage site – walk the 2.8km Su Causeway, climb Leifeng Pagoda for sunset, or head to Longjing Village for tea picking and tastings of the original Dragon Well green tea.

Getting around once you land is straightforward: high-speed rail links the major cities, urban metro networks are extensive, and the DiDi ride-hailing app works well and cheaply almost everywhere. For travellers after a fresh alternative to Bangkok, Bali or Tokyo – with big-city energy, beaches, mountains and centuries of history packed into one country – China's second-tier cities are worth booking before the crowds catch on.