游览

• Pinyin: yóu lǎn
• Hanzi breakdown: 游 = 氵+ 斿 (water + waving flag — to travel/roam); 览 = 见 + 监 (to see + to oversee — to view broadly)

Meaning

To tour; to sightsee. To travel through a place for pleasure and observation, taking in the scenery or cultural attractions.

More formal and literary than 旅游 or 参观. 游览 emphasizes the act of leisurely moving through and observing a scenic or historic site. Common in official tourism contexts, travel writing, and formal invitations. 游览区 (scenic area), 游览车 (tour bus), 免费游览 (free admission to a site).

Examples

1. 这支外交使团利用国庆长假游览了九寨沟、峨眉山和乐山大佛等地，加深了对中国西南文化与自然的了解。 This diplomatic delegation used the National Day holiday to tour places like Jiuzhaigou, Mount Emei, and the Leshan Giant Buddha, deepening its understanding of the culture and nature of Southwest China.
2. 这位海外华人学者阔别故土四十多年后回乡，游览儿时老街时，青石板路和明清建筑唤起了他的乡愁。 After more than forty years away, this overseas Chinese scholar returned to his hometown, and while touring the old street of his childhood, the stone paving and Ming-Qing buildings awakened his homesickness.
3. 面对景区承载不足，多地实行预约制游览，科学控制客流和时段，既保护遗址，也让游客更从容。 Faced with insufficient capacity at scenic spots, many places have adopted reservation-based touring to control visitor flow and time slots scientifically, protecting the sites and giving tourists a calmer experience.

Usage Guide

Context: tourism, culture, travel

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 游客在导游带领下游览故宫三大殿，听懂了明清礼制与等级秩序。(Led by a guide, the visitors toured the Three Great Halls of the Palace Museum and learned about Ming-Qing ritual rules and the hierarchical order.)
• 这套面向老年人的无障碍游览方案配有代步车、大字手册和全程陪护，方便了行动不便者。(This barrier-free touring plan for elderly people is equipped with mobility scooters, large-print booklets, and full-time escort service, making it easier for people with limited mobility.)

Don't Say

• 游览一下这道数学题 — 游览 is exclusively for physical places and scenic sites; use 研究 or 做 for working through academic problems

Origin & History

游 (to travel/roam — 氵water + 斿 waving flag; originally moving along a river, hence traveling) + 览 (to view/observe — 见 see + 监 oversee; to observe broadly)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal